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”).
Meanings
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. 1647, Tho[mas] Fuller, “Scripture Observations”, in Good Thoughts in Worse Times. […], London: […] W. W. for John Williams […], →OCLC, section XVI (Text improved), page 89:
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.
(obsolete) An omission.
A deceptive motion. ▸ An illegal motion by the pitcher, intended to deceive a runner.
(qualifier:badminton) A deceptive motion. ▸ A motion used to deceive the opponent during a serve.
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.
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”).
Meanings
To be unwilling to do something; to refuse to proceed or do or allow something, either in general or only temporarily.
Carla balked for a moment, but when the badge and identification was produced, she acquiesced immediately. "Of course, Director, what can I do for you?" 2004, Derek Hart, Tidal Trap, page 114:
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
(especially, of a horse, qualifier:mule; etc; mule; etc) To stop short and refuse to go on or do something (such as jump).
I’ve seen cattle that were handled in two identical facilities easily walk through one and balk in the other. 1995, Temple Grandin, Thinking in Pictures, page 6:
The horse balked.
"Her horse balked at the jump and threw her," said Michael. 1974, Sharon Salvato, Briarcliff Manor: A Novel, page 107:
To move fitfully, stopping frequently.
[…] thin road, gunning madly past the old rusty trucks balking up the mountain to Boulem while Badra drifted in and out of consciousness in the back. 2006, Bret Lott, The Best Christian Short Stories, volume 1, page 127:
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. 1915, L. J. Dickinson, John O' Dreams, page 80:
[…] balked up the hills, then careened and slid on the downside, threatening to overturn. 1993, Susan C. Feldhake, Seasons of the Heart, page 107:
To leave or make a balk or balks (ridges) in; to leave a ridge in by leaving partly unploughed.
[…] balking up the rows and running the water down from the balks; 1935, Scientific Horticulture: Journal of the Horticultural, page 89:
[…] balking up the field. 1906, Primrose McConnell, The Diary of a Working Farmer, page 151:
But so well halt no man the plough, / That he ne balketh other while [c. 1386–1390, John Gower, edited by Reinhold Pauli, Confessio Amantis of John Gower: Edited and Collated with the Best Manuscripts, volume (please specify |volume=I, II, or III) (in Middle English), London: Bell and Daldy […], published 1857, →OCLC:
To stop, check, block (by or as if by an obstacle); to hinder, impede, thwart.
Balked for the second time, the passion of his grief had found another outlet, was transformed into a passion of agonized rage. 1932, Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, London: Chatto & Windus:
[…] the sturdy cavalier was not to be balked in his purpose; […] 1867 [1855?], William Hickling Prescott, History of the Reign of Philip the Second, King of Spain, page 48
[…] had neither been balked nor been frightened by this overwhelming man. 1929, Francis Hackett, Henry the Eighth, page 211:
My Sport is always balkt, or cut short — I stumble over the Game me I would pursue — 1733, William Congreve, The Old Batchelor: A Comedy, page 55:
an incipient accretion of rotundity recently balked his entrance to a boiler wherein his expert scrutiny was imperatively demanded, 1915 May, The National Engineer, volume 19, page 299:
(obsolete, possibly) 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. c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
(obsolete, possibly) 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. 1612, Joseph Hall, Contempl. N. T.:
I hope you will not balk Totteridge, if I am here. 1664, Lady R. Russell, Letters:
Going to Lord Carendon ... baulking the Secretary. 1773, “Exam.”, in North:
(obsolete, possibly) To pass over or by (either by chance or intentionally); to avoid in passing. ▸ To omit, miss, or overlook by chance, error, or inadvertance.
[…] you cannot baulk your Road without the hazard of drowning 1677, Owen Feltham, Resolves: Divine, Moral, Political. The tenth impression., page 46
(obsolete, possibly) To pass over or by (either by chance or intentionally); to avoid in passing. ▸ To miss intentionally; to avoid, ignore, or shun.
Sick he is, and keeps his bed, and balks his meat. 1612–1634, [Joseph Hall], “(please specify the page)”, in [Contemplations vpon the Principall Passages of the Holy Storie], volume (please specify |volume=I to VIII), London, →OCLC:
Thou must not balke the way of Religion 1632, Effect. Faith, Preston:
The spying of motes in our brother's eye, and baulking of beams in our own. 1696, Robert Sanderson, Sermons:
By reason of the contagion then in London, we balked the inns. 1641 November 21 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 12 November 1641]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC:
I may not balk two pregnant testimonies of the Fathers 1808 [original 1640?] Joseph Hall, Works: Polemical works, page 526
Nor doth he any creature balk, / But lays on all he meeteth. 1627, Michaell [i.e., Michael] Drayton, “Nimphidia. The Court of Fayrie.”, in The Battaile of Agincourt. […], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for William Lee, […], →OCLC:
I'le call ye to Accompt, and if ye bauke me, then / I ranſake ye out, and make ye underſtand / The ſharp-nail'd language of Quiſquilla's hand. a. 1645 (date written), Fra[ncis] Quarles, The Virgin Widow. A Comedie, London: […] R[ichard] Royston, […], published 1649, →OCLC, Act II, page 33:
(obsolete, possibly) To refuse or fail to use (something), either through error or intentionally. ▸ To refuse (something).
A bait you cannot balk Sir. 1619, Fletcher, M. Thomas
And balke your bed for shame. 1587, Tuberv., Trag. T. (1837), page 230
I never ... balked an invitation 1784, Johnson, Boswell:
such an age as ours balks no expense 1870 [?], William Cowper, The Poetical Works of William Cowper, page 90
If the stalk grow big, cattell wil balk it. 1649, Blith, Eng. Improv. Impr.
(obsolete, possibly) To refuse or fail to use (something), either through error or intentionally. ▸ To let (something) slip; to fail to use or seize or keep (something).
to balk an opportunity
If I balk'd this opportunity. 1697, Dryden, Virg. Georg.:
This was look'd for at your hand, and this as baulkt. 1602, Shakspeare, Twelfth Night
To disappoint, frustrate, or check.
Well, / I know that none who enter there return / As they have enter'd—many never; but / They shall not balk my entrance. 1821, Lord Byron, “The Two Foscari, an Historical Tragedy”, in Sardanapalus, a Tragedy; The Two Foscari, a Tragedy; Cain, a Mystery, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 195:
Nor doth it balk my charity, to find Th' Egyptian bishop of another mind: 1777 [1692?], John Dryden, Original Poems, and Translations,: In Two Volumes [Rel. Laici?], page 223
[…] balk yourself of the pleasure of bullying and making her unhappy. 1891 [1854?], William Makepeace Thackeray, The Complete Works of William Makepeace Thackeray, page 365
to balk expectation
(obsolete, possibly) To quibble or bandy words with; engage in opposing, contradicting, or arguing with.
Her list in strifull termes with him to balke 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 12:
They do not divide and baulk with God. 1653, Manton, Works, IV 227
(intransitive) 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. 2013, Aaron Wisewell, The Baseball Coach:
hu meghiúsít (to stop, check, block) · hu átsiklik (to omit, miss or overlook by chance) · fi tehdä tenä (to be unwilling to do) · hu hátráltat (to stop, check, block) · de Einhalt gebieten (to stop, check, block) · de verweigern (to stop short and refuse to go on) · de stocken (to stop short and refuse to go on) · hu elszalaszt (to miss intentionally; to avoid) · de verhindern (to stop, check, block) · de vermeiden (to miss intentionally; to avoid) · fr regimber (to stop short and refuse to go on) · de stoppen (to stop short and refuse to go on) · hu eltéveszt (to omit, miss or overlook by chance) · hu bokkol (to stop short and refuse to go on) · hu elkerül (to miss intentionally; to avoid) · hu akadályoz (to stop, check, block) · hu megbokrosodik (to stop short and refuse to go on) · fi tehdä tenä (to stop short and refuse to go on) · hu habozik (to stop short and refuse to go on) · de stoppen (to stop, check, block) · hu elébe áll (quibble, bandy words with) · hu mellőz (to miss intentionally; to avoid) · fi kieltäytyä (to be unwilling to do) · fi seisahtua (to stop short and refuse to go on) · hu gátol (to stop, check, block) · sh ustuknuti (to stop short and refuse to go on) · hu elmulaszt (to miss intentionally; to avoid) · hu vonakodik (to stop short and refuse to go on) · hu elmegy (mellette) (to pass over or by) · hu kihagy (to miss intentionally; to avoid) · hu megmakacsolja magát (to stop short and refuse to go on) · hu megtorpan (to stop short and refuse to go on) · hu csalódást kelt/okoz (to disappoint; to frustrate) · cs zmařit (to stop, check, block) · de durchkreuzen (to stop, check, block) · de scheuen (to stop short and refuse to go on) · bg спъвам (to stop, check, block) · cs zarazit se (to stop short and refuse to go on) · cs vzpírat se (quibble, bandy words with) · hu kikerül (to pass over or by) · de behindern (to stop, check, block) · hu elsiklik (to omit, miss or overlook by chance) · bg затруднявам (to stop, check, block) · hu keresztülhúzza a számításait (to stop, check, block) · oc reguitnar (to stop short and refuse to go on) · cs vzpínat se (to stop short and refuse to go on) · it tirarsi indietro (to stop short and refuse to go on) · bg запирам се (to stop short and refuse to go on) · hu húzódozik (to stop short and refuse to go on) · hu szembeszáll (quibble, bandy words with) · hu keresztbe áll (quibble, bandy words with) · cs zastavit (to stop, check, block) · hu kiábrándít (to disappoint; to frustrate) · de übergehen (to omit, miss or overlook by chance) · fi estää (to stop, check, block) · de blockieren (to stop, check, block) · hu elmulaszt (to omit, miss or overlook by chance) · hu ellenez (quibble, bandy words with) · bg преча (to stop, check, block) · it ostacolare (to stop, check, block) · hu kivonja magát (to miss intentionally; to avoid) · de vereiteln (to stop, check, block) · hu kihagy (to omit, miss or overlook by chance) · hu elhalad (mellette) (to pass over or by) · hu kerül (to miss intentionally; to avoid) · cs zarazit (to stop, check, block)