balked; balking; balks
Definition of balk
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to refuse abruptly
—used with at Congress balked at putting up the money— Thomas Fleming
2
: to stop short and refuse to proceed
The horse balked at the jump and threw the rider.
1
: to check or stop by or as if by an obstacle : block
… had neither been balked nor been frightened …— Francis Hackett
2
archaic
: to pass over or by
… such an age as ours balks no expense …— William Cowper
balk
nounDefinition of balk (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
baseball
: an occurrence in which a pitcher stops suddenly or makes an illegal movement after starting to throw a pitch
The pitcher was charged with a balk.
b
sports
: failure of a competitor to complete a motion (such as a jump, vault, or dive)
2
billiards
a
: the space behind the balkline on a billiard table
b
: any of the outside divisions made by the balklines
5
: a ridge of land left unplowed as a dividing line or through carelessness
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for balk
The first known use of balk was before the 12th century
See more words from the same century