bɔ:k v. & n. (also balk) --v. 1 intr. a refuse to go
on. b (often foll. by at)
hesitate. 2 tr. a
thwart, hinder. b
disappoint. 3 tr. a miss, let slip (a
chance etc.). b
ignore,
shirk. --n. 1 a
hindrance; a stumbling-block. 2 a a roughly-squared
timber beam. b a tie-beam of a
house. 3
Billiards etc.
the area on a billiard-table
from which a
player begins a game. 4
Baseball an
illegal action made by a pitcher. 5 a
ridge left
unploughed between furrows. øøbaulker n. [OE balc f. ON bÁlkr f. Gmc]