balks

noun

Meaning

An uncultivated ridge formed in the open field system, caused by the action of ploughing.
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; a failure.
An omission.
To pass over or by.
To omit, miss or overlook by chance.
To miss intentionally; to avoid.
To stop, check, block.
To stop short and refuse to go on.
To refuse suddenly.
To indicate to fishermen, by shouts or signals from shore, the direction taken by the shoals of herring.

No prose etymology has been added yet.

No ancestor words have been linked yet.

No descendant words have been linked yet.