balk
noun · verb
Simple meaning
An uncultivated ridge formed in the open field system, caused by ploughing.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
bawkIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈbɔk
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
agriculture
An uncultivated ridge formed in the open field system, caused by the action of ploughing.
archaeology
The wall of earth at the edge of an excavation.
Beam, crossbeam; squared timber; a tie beam of a house, stretching from wall to wall, especially when laid so as to form a loft, "the balks".
A hindrance or disappointment; a check.
A sudden and obstinate stop.
verb
To omit, miss, or overlook by chance.
To stop, check, block; to hinder, impede.
Refuse to comply
To stop short and refuse to go on.
To refuse suddenly.
To disappoint; to frustrate.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient
- Frequency
- Rare
- Typical Use
- Primarily written
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (agriculture) An uncultivated ridge formed in the open field system, caused by the action of ploughing.
Used this way, balk is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Nearby words
- baulk , used mainly in Regional English
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use balk
- “A player with ball in hand must play from the balk.”noun
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.