balklines
|balk-lines|
/ˈbɔːkˌlaɪnz/
(balkline)
line marking a restricted (balk) area on a billiards table
Etymology
'balkline' originates from English, specifically the compound of 'balk' and 'line', where 'balk' originally meant 'a ridge, strip, or beam' and 'line' meant 'a long thin mark or boundary'.
'balkline' developed in the 19th century from the noun 'balk' (from Old English 'balca' meaning 'ridge/beam', later Middle English 'balke') combined with 'line' (Old English 'līn', ultimately from Proto-Germanic/Latin influences). The compound was adopted into billiards terminology to name the marking lines on the table.
Initially, elements meant a 'ridge/strip' (balk) and a 'mark/boundary' (line); over time the compound came to refer specifically to the marked boundary lines on a carom billiards table used to define restricted scoring areas.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'balkline': the lines marked on a carom (billiards) table that delimit balk areas where scoring or counting is restricted.
The balklines on the table prevented the player from scoring repeatedly from the same short area.
Last updated: 2026/01/05 20:34