2007-01-09 02:55:32 · 10 answers · asked by nachomanhulk 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
The most common meaning: To refuse obstinately or abruptly.
balk (bôk)
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[Middle English balken, to plow up in ridges, from balk, ridge, from Old English balca, and from Old Norse balkr, beam.]
verb: balked, balk·ing, balks.
intransitive verb
To stop short and refuse to go on: The horse balked at the jump.
To refuse obstinately or abruptly: She balked at the very idea of compromise.
Sports To make an incomplete or misleading motion.
Baseball To make an illegal motion before pitching, allowing one or more base runners to advance one base.
transitive verb
To check or thwart by or as if by an obstacle.
Archaic To let go by; miss.
noun
A hindrance, check, or defeat.
Sports An incomplete or misleading motion, especially an illegal move made by a baseball pitcher.
Games One of the spaces between the cushion and the balk line on a billiard table.
An unplowed strip of land.
A ridge between furrows.
A wooden beam or rafter.
Synonyms
baffle
check
checkmate
defeat
foil
frustrate
stymie
thwart
beam
rafter
timber
2007-01-09 02:58:48 · answer #1 · answered by Melli 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Wow sweetie, see you got yourself "the" issue here ... so many answers. I am totally neutral here to express my opinion as I am Brazilian. I have learned it the American way and it is a bit easier although spelling correctly can be a pain in any language (I can say that of my own native language) anyway. I would say if languages were simplified in some ways, it would be easier as in the pronunciation you can't tell if it has got one or two Fs, Ls, Ns or a 'u' here or there, either way. It is the same here, many times you aren't sure a word is spelled with an 's' or 'z' and it it might be funny spelled wrong but it sounds exactly the same. I am not defending that people should start spelling things wrong. If I type 'tyre' in my word document, it doesn't accept it, but if that document had to be sent to your country, that shouldn't be a reason for a fuss as it is right in American English and the if it happened the other way around, the same would be fair ... By the way , I love the British and Australian accent best !!!
2016-05-22 22:43:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To stop short and refuse to go on. As in The Horse Balked.
2007-01-09 02:59:11 · answer #3 · answered by Anne2 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
it is most often used in baseball. the word comes originally from an old Scots word, bauk.
look up balk in wikipedia, there is an interesting article there.
outside of baseball, it generally means to stop short of doing something, refusing to do something.
2007-01-09 03:02:38 · answer #4 · answered by SAMUEL ELI 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You're right.It's the American for 'baulk' and it means to be unwilling to do something or become involved in something because it's difficult or dangerous
If it's referred to a horse, it means to stop suddenly and refuse to jump a fence...
:)
2007-01-09 09:31:06 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I always thought is was Baulk, shows how much I know.
I defer to the superior English speakers to be found on Yahoo answers.
2007-01-09 03:11:42 · answer #6 · answered by Not Ecky Boy 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
To refuse obstinately or abruptly
2007-01-09 03:23:24 · answer #7 · answered by Basement Bob 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
American Eh?
That's a gag!
**** yeah!
2007-01-09 03:01:53 · answer #8 · answered by Connie Lindquist's!® 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It means to stop or hinder, be stopped by an obstruction
2007-01-09 03:16:49 · answer #9 · answered by bill 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think it's mean: obstacle
2007-01-09 03:09:32 · answer #10 · answered by ghanoog 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋