balk.
An uncultivated ridge formed in the open field system, caused by the action of ploughing.
Meaning & usage
An uncultivated ridge formed in the open field system, caused by the action of ploughing.
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.
A sudden and obstinate stop.
An omission.
A deceptive motion. An illegal motion by the pitcher, intended to deceive a runner.
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.
Where this word 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”).
To be unwilling to do something; to refuse to proceed or do or allow something, either in general or only temporarily.
To stop short and refuse to go on or do something (such as jump).
The horse balked.
To move fitfully, stopping frequently.
To leave or make a balk or balks (ridges) in; to leave a ridge in by leaving partly unploughed.
To stop, check, block (by or as if by an obstacle); to hinder, impede, thwart.
To leave heaped up; to heap up in piles.
To pass over or by (either by chance or intentionally); to avoid in passing.
To pass over or by (either by chance or intentionally); to avoid in passing. To omit, miss, or overlook by chance, error, or inadvertance.
To pass over or by (either by chance or intentionally); to avoid in passing. To miss intentionally; to avoid, ignore, or shun.
To refuse or fail to use (something), either through error or intentionally. To refuse (something).
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 disappoint, frustrate, or check.
to balk expectation
To quibble or bandy words with; engage in opposing, contradicting, or arguing with.
To make a balk, a deceptive motion to deceive another player.
Where this word 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”).
A small brass ornament fixed at the top of a wand.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English balok, ballok (“knob”), from Old English bealluc (“testicle”, literally “little ball”). Doublet of ballock and bollocks.
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.