balkers
|balk-ers|
🇺🇸
/ˈbɔːkərz/
🇬🇧
/ˈbɔːkəz/
(balker)
one who refuses or hesitates
Etymology
'balker' originates from English, formed from the verb 'balk' + agentive suffix '-er'; 'balk' ultimately comes from Old English 'balca' meaning 'ridge' or 'beam'.
'balk' changed from Old English 'balca' (meaning a ridge, bank, or beam) into Middle English 'balk' (an obstacle or beam) and later developed the verbal sense 'to stop short or refuse'; the agentive form 'balker' then meant 'one who balks' and pluralized to 'balkers'.
Initially it referred to a physical 'ridge' or 'beam', then to an obstacle; over time it evolved into the action sense 'to refuse or hesitate', and 'balker' came to mean 'one who refuses or hesitates'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'balker': people who refuse to comply, who hesitate, or who resist taking an action.
The balkers in the committee delayed the vote until a compromise was found.
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Noun 2
people (often players) who commit a balk — used in contexts such as baseball to refer to those who make an illegal pitching motion (i.e., 'balkers' = pitchers who balk).
There were two balkers in last night's game, costing the team two runs.
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Last updated: 2026/01/05 18:00