I. balk BrE AmE ( also baulk British English ) /bɔːk, bɔːlk $ bɒːk, bɒːlk/ verb
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Origin: balk 'raised area that gets in the way of forward movement' (15-21 centuries) , from Old English balca 'pile of things on the ground' ]
1 . [intransitive] to not want to do or try something, because it seems difficult, unpleasant, or frightening
balk at
Many people would balk at setting up a new business during a recession.
Westerners balk at the prospect of snake on the menu.
2 . [intransitive] if a horse balks at a fence, it stops in front of it and refuses to jump over it
3 . [intransitive] American English in baseball, to stop in the middle of the action of throwing the ball to the player who is trying to hit it
4 . [transitive] formal to stop someone or something from getting or achieving what they want
II. baulk /bɔːk, bɔːlk $ bɒːk, bɒːlk/ BrE AmE verb [I, T]
a British spelling of ↑ balk