balk
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
balk¹
- /bɔːk/ UK
- /bɔːlk/ UK
- /bɔk/ US
- /bɔlk/ US
- /bɑk/ cot caught merger
Rhymes with -ɔːk
Where it comes from
From Middle English balke, from Old English balca, either from or influenced by Old Norse bálkr (“partition, ridge of land”), from Proto-Germanic *balkô. Cognate with Dutch balk (“balk”), German Balken (“balk”), Italian balcone (“balcony”).
noun balks · baulk
- An uncultivated ridge formed in the open field system, caused by the action of ploughing. How fruitfull are the ſeeming Barren places of Scripture. Bad Plow-men, which make Balkes of ſuch Ground.
- The wall of earth at the edge of an excavation.
- Beam, crossbeam; squared timber; a tie beam of a house, stretching from wall to wall, especially when laid so as to form a loft, "the balks".
- A hindrance or disappointment; a check. , "Concealment of Sin" a balk to the confidence of the bold undertaker
-
A sudden and obstinate stop.
Similar: failure
- An omission.
-
An illegal motion by the pitcher, intended to deceive a runner.
Similar: feint
-
A motion used to deceive the opponent during a serve.
Similar: feint
- The area of the table lying behind the line from which the cue ball is initially shot, and from which a ball in hand must be played.
- The area of the table lying behind the baulk line.
- The rope by which fishing nets are fastened together.
verb balks · balking · balked · baulk
- To be unwilling to do something; to refuse to proceed or do or allow something, either in general or only temporarily. balked at paying a day's wages for a pencil; he said he would buy her one, but when he saw the price, he balked
-
To stop short and refuse to go on or do something (such as jump).
The horse balked.
Similar: jib
- To move fitfully, stopping frequently. The horses balked up the canyon, / But we made it with half a load. / Got to the top with panniers. / Went back for the bedding stowed.
- To leave or make a balk or balks (ridges) in; to leave a ridge in by leaving partly unploughed. But so well halt no man the plough, / That he ne balketh other while
- To stop, check, block (by or as if by an obstacle); to hinder, impede, thwart. My Sport is always balkt, or cut short — I stumble over the Game me I would pursue —
- To leave heaped up; to heap up in piles. Ten thousand bold Scots, two and twenty knights, / Balk'd in their own blood did Sir Walter see.
- To pass over or by (either by chance or intentionally); to avoid in passing. Jericho was in his way from Galilee to Jerusalem: he baulks it not, though it were outwardly cursed.
- To omit, miss, or overlook by chance, error, or inadvertence. […] you cannot baulk your Road without the hazard of drowning
- To miss intentionally; to avoid, ignore, or shun. Sick he is, and keeps his bed, and balks his meat.
- To refuse (something). And balke your bed for shame.
- To let (something) slip; to fail to use or seize or keep (something). to balk an opportunity
- To disappoint, frustrate, or check. to balk expectation
- To quibble or bandy words with; engage in opposing, contradicting, or arguing with. Her list in strifull termes with him to balke
- To make a balk, a deceptive motion to deceive another player. The best advice you can receive regarding balking is to always maintain poise and composure on the mound.
balk²
- /bɔːk/ UK
- /bɔːlk/ UK
- /bɔk/ US
- /bɔlk/ US
- /bɑk/ cot caught merger
Rhymes with -ɔːk
Where it comes from
From Middle English balok, ballok (“knob”), from Old English bealluc (“testicle”, literally “little ball”). Doublet of ballock and bollocks.
noun balks
- A small brass ornament fixed at the top of a wand.
Balk³
proper noun Balks
- A surname.
Translations
Every language
noun an unplowed strip of land
| Français | raie |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Rain, Feldrain, Feldrand, Furchenrücken |
| Italiano | porca |
| Română | hat, hotar |
noun (sports) deceptive motion; feint
| Español | finta |
|---|---|
| Français | balk, feinte irrégulière |
| Română | fentă |
verb to stop short and refuse to go on
| Français | regimber |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | verweigern, stoppen, scheuen, stocken |
| Italiano | tirarsi indietro |
verb to stop, check, block
| Deutsch | verhindern, stoppen, blockieren, behindern, vereiteln, Einhalt gebieten |
|---|---|
| Italiano | ostacolare |
verb to omit, miss or overlook by chance
| Deutsch | übergehen |
|---|
verb to miss intentionally; to avoid
| Deutsch | vermeiden |
|---|
Talk about this word "balk." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/balk. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. balk. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/balk "balk." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/balk.Cite this
@misc{balk_2026,
title = {balk},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/balk},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
