balk

views updated May 14 2018

balk / bôk/ (Brit. also baulk) • v. [intr.] 1. hesitate or be unwilling to accept an idea or undertaking: any gardener will at first balk at enclosing the garden. ∎  (of a horse) refuse to go on.2. Baseball (of a pitcher) make an illegal motion, penalized by an advance of the base runners: the rookie balked and permitted Robinson to score.• n. 1. Baseball an illegal motion made by a pitcher that may deceive a base runner.2. any area on a pool or billiard table in which play is restricted in some way.

balk

views updated May 23 2018

balk
A. ridge, esp. between furrows OE.; hindrance XV;

B. †wooden fetter OE.; beam of timber XIV. A. Late OE. balc — ON. bálkr partition (see BULKHEAD):- Gmc. *balkuz, rel. to *balkan-beam; cf. BALCONY.

B. OE. balca :- WGmc. *balkan-.

balk

views updated May 17 2018

balk, baulk.
1. Any large piece of squared timber.

2. Lintel or summer-beam.

3. Upper roof-tie, or balk-tie, between rafters.

4. Earthen ridge dividing areas of land.

Balk

views updated Jun 27 2018

Balk

a ridge or heap on the ground. See also bank, bar.

Examples: balk of earth; of good ground, 1605; of money, 1652; of sand, 1538.

balk

views updated May 29 2018

balk (bauk, baulk) A roughly squared, large piece of timber used for beams, etc.

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