balk
oxford
views updated May 14 2018balk / 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.
The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English
balk
oxford
views updated May 23 2018balk 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-.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD
balk
oxford
views updated May 17 2018balk, 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.
A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture JAMES STEVENS CURL
Balk
gale
views updated Jun 27 2018Balk
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.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms
balk
oxford
views updated May 29 2018balk (bauk, baulk) A roughly squared, large piece of timber used for beams, etc.
A Dictionary of Plant Sciences MICHAEL ALLABY
