balking
|balk-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˈbɑːkɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˈbɔːkɪŋ/
(balk)
stop or block
Etymology
'balk' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'balca', where 'balca' meant 'ridge, beam, or an unploughed strip of land (a ridge or bank).'
'balk' changed from Old English 'balca' (a noun meaning 'ridge' or 'strip of land') into Middle English 'balk' meaning 'a ridge' and then 'obstacle'; the verb sense 'to stop short or refuse' developed from the noun in late Middle English/early modern English.
Initially, it meant 'ridge/beam or an unploughed strip (an obstacle of land)'; over time it evolved into senses such as 'obstacle, to refuse or hesitate,' and specialized senses like the baseball meaning 'to make an illegal pitching motion.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act of hesitating or refusing; a refusal or an obstacle that stops progress (gerund/noun use of 'balk').
His balking during negotiations cost the company the deal.
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Verb 1
present participle/gerund of 'balk': to hesitate or refuse to proceed or to accept an idea or proposal.
She kept balking at the idea of working late.
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Verb 2
to frustrate or prevent (someone or something) from accomplishing a goal; to foil or obstruct.
Heavy snow was balking the rescue team's progress.
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Idioms
Last updated: 2026/01/05 19:24