- balk at something
- balk at somethingto resist and object to something; to shy away from doing something. •
I hope they don't balk at finishing their work.
•They will probably balk at it.
Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.
balk at something
Look at other dictionaries:
balk — [[t]bɔ͟ːlk, AM bɔ͟ːk[/t]] balks, balking, balked also baulk VERB If you balk at something, you definitely do not want to do it or to let it happen. [V at n] Even biology undergraduates may balk at animal experiments... Last October the bank… … English dictionary
balk — also baulk BrE [bo:k, bo:lk US bo:k, bo:lk] v [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.) to not want to do or try something,… … Dictionary of contemporary English
Balk (disambiguation) — Balk has many uses, such as:* Something left untouched, from in the Scots term bauk ; this led to the word s current meaning a hindrance or check. From this, some uses developed: ** A balk is an illegal action in baseball. ** A horse is said to… … Wikipedia
balk — [bôk] n. [ME balke < OE balca, a bank, ridge < IE * bhelg (extended stem of * bhel , a beam) > Ger balken, beam, Gr phalanx, L fulcrum] 1. a ridge of unplowed land between furrows 2. a roughly hewn piece of timber 3. a beam used in… … English World dictionary
balk — balk1 [ bɔk ] verb intransitive 1. ) to be unwilling to do something or let something happen, because you believe that it is wrong or that it will cause problems: Voters would balk if either candidate made such a proposal. balk at: They really… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
balk — balker, n. balkingly, adv. /bawk/, v.i. 1. to stop, as at an obstacle, and refuse to proceed or to do something specified (usually fol. by at): He balked at making the speech. 2. (of a horse, mule, etc.) to stop short and stubbornly refuse to go… … Universalium
balk — [OE] There are two separate strands of meaning in balk, or baulk, as it is also spelled. When it first entered English in the 9th century, from Old Norse bálkr, it meant a ‘ridge of land, especially one between ploughed furrows’, from which the… … The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins
balk — [OE] There are two separate strands of meaning in balk, or baulk, as it is also spelled. When it first entered English in the 9th century, from Old Norse bálkr, it meant a ‘ridge of land, especially one between ploughed furrows’, from which the… … Word origins
balk — 1 also baulk BrE verb 1 (I) to not want to or refuse to do something that is difficult, or frightening: Perry seemed interested, but baulked when he heard the price. 2 (intransitive + at) if a horse balks at a fence etc, it stops suddenly and… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
baulk/balk — i. An aborted landing resulting from something happening on the final stages of the approach, such as an obstruction on the runway. ii. To obstruct landing of an approaching aircraft, forcing it to overshoot … Aviation dictionary
balky — balk|y [ bɔki ] adjective AMERICAN difficult or not helpful: UNCOOPERATIVE ball2 ball 2 [ bɔl ] verb intransitive or transitive 1. ) ball or ball up to become a small round shape, or make something into a small round shape: She balled her fists… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
