Transcription
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [bawk]
- /bɔk/
- /bɔːk/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [bawk]
- /bɔk/
Definitions of balks word
- verb without object balks to stop, as at an obstacle, and refuse to proceed or to do something specified (usually followed by at): He balked at making the speech. 1
- verb without object balks (of a horse, mule, etc.) to stop short and stubbornly refuse to go on. 1
- verb without object balks Baseball. to commit a balk. 1
- verb with object balks to place an obstacle in the way of; hinder; thwart: a sudden reversal that balked her hopes. 1
- verb with object balks Archaic. to let slip; fail to use: to balk an opportunity. 1
- noun balks a check or hindrance; defeat; disappointment. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of balks
First appearance:
before 900 One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English; Old English balca covering, beam, ridge; cognate with Old Norse bǫlkr bar, partition, Dutch balk, Old Saxon balko, German Balken, Old Norse bjalki beam, Old English bolca plank; perhaps akin to Latin sufflāmen, Slovene blazína, Lithuanian balžíenas beam. See balcony
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Balks
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
balks popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 91% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
According to our data about 56% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.
balks usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for balks
verb balks
- shies — bashful; retiring.
- baffles — Plural form of baffle.
- hinders — to cause delay, interruption, or difficulty in; hamper; impede: The storm hindered our progress.
- ruins — ruins, the remains of a building, city, etc., that has been destroyed or that is in disrepair or a state of decay: We visited the ruins of ancient Greece.
- stops — to cease from, leave off, or discontinue: to stop running.
noun balks
- sills — Mount, a mountain in E central California, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 14,153 feet (4314 meters).
- scantlings — a timber of relatively slight width and thickness, as a stud or rafter in a house frame.
Antonyms for balks
verb balks
- aids — AIDS is a disease which destroys the natural system of protection that the body has against other diseases. AIDS is an abbreviation for 'acquired immune deficiency syndrome'.
- advances — personal overtures made in an attempt to become friendly, gain a favour, etc
- assists — Plural form of assist.
Top questions with balks
- when a pitcher balks?
- what happens when a pitcher balks?
- what does balks mean?