Forms: 6 balck, 6–7 balke, 7 baulke, bawk, 8 bauk, 6–9 baulk, 4– balk. [f. prec. sb.]
I. † 1. trans. (and absol.) To make balks in plowing; to plow up in ridges. Obs.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 296. But so well halt no man the plough, That he ne balketh other while.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., I. 184. To tille a felde man must have diligence, And balk it not.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 22. With forck King Neptun is ayding. He balcks thee quicksands, and fluds dooth mollefye.
1611. Cotgr., Assilloner, to baulke, or plow up in baulkes.
[a. 1640. Jackson, Creed, XI. cxxxix. Wks. XI. 203. Whilst we labour to plough up your hearts … we must not balk that saying of St. John.]
II. 2. trans. To miss or omit intentionally. † a. lit. To pass by (a place), to avoid in passing; to shun.
1484. Paston Lett., 859, III. 279. Mastyer Baley … woold not have balkyd this pore loggeyng to Norwyche wardes.
1612–5. Bp. Hall, Contempl. N. T., IV. iii. 173. Jericho was in his way from Galilee to Jerusalem: he baulks it not, though it were outwardly cursed.
1684. Lady R. Russell, Lett., I. xv. 43. I hope you will not balk Totteridge, if I am here.
a. 1733. North, Exam., II. iv. ¶ 94. Going to Lord Clarendon … baulking the Secretary.
1783. Ainsworth, Lat. Dict. (Morell), s.v. Balk, I will not balk your house.
b. fig. To pass over, overlook, refrain from noticing (what comes in one’s way); to shirk, ignore.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 22. Balkyn, or ouerskyppyn, omitto.
1582. Fleetwood, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 216, III. 90. As for my Lo. Maior … I am dryven every daie to bawk hym and his doynges.
1640. Bp. Hall, Episc., I. § 11. 39. I may not baulke two pregnant testimonies of the Fathers.
1656. Sanderson, Serm., II. 160. The spying of motes in our brother’s eye, and baulking of beams in our own.
1684. Cont. Foxe’s A. & M., III. 900. The Bayliff would fain have baulked him, As if he had not seen him.
1742. Richardson, Pamela, III. 42. Let me tell you, (nor will I balk it) my Brother … will want one Apology for his Conduct.
1848. L. Hunt, Jar of Honey, Pref. 4. No topic is baulked if it come uppermost.
c. To refuse (anything offered or that comes in course, e.g., food or drink).
1587. Turberv., Trag. T. (1837), 230. And balke your bed for shame.
1619. Fletcher, M. Thomas, I. i. 386. A bait you cannot balk Sir.
1649. Blith, Eng. Improv. Impr. (1653), 183. If the stalk grow big, cattell will balk it.
a. 1784. Johnson, in Boswell (1831), I. 236. I never … balked an invitation out to dinner.
1810. Crabbe, Borough, xvi. He took them all and never balk’d his glass.
d. To avoid (a duty or responsibility).
1631. Preston, Effect. Faith, 146. Thou must not balke the way of Religion, because of the troubles thou meetest.
a. 1707. Beveridge, Priv. Th., II. 103. Not that we should run ourselves into danger, but that we should baulk no Duty to avoid it.
1785. Cowper, Tirocin., 257. Such an age as ours baulks no expence.
e. To let slip, fail to use, seize, keep, reach, etc.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., III. ii. 26. This was look’t for at your hand, and this was baulkt.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., Ded. If I balk’d this opportunity.
1724. A. Ramsay, Tea-t. Misc. (1733), I. 2. This point of a’ his wishes He wadna with set speeches bauk.
1826. Hor. Smith, Gai. & Grav., in Casquet of Lit., I. 326/2. My adviser insisted upon my not baulking my luck.
3. intr. To stop short as at an obstacle, to pull up, swerve. Esp. of a horse: To jib, refuse to go on, or to leap, to shy; also of the rider, and of any one on foot, refusing a leap.
1481. Caxton, Reynard (Arb.), 32. Isegrym balked and sayde, ye make moche a doo, sir Tybert.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., IV. x. 25. Ne ever ought but of their true loves talkt, Ne ever for rebuke or blame of any balkt.
1722. De Foe, Moll Fl. (1840), 78. If he balked, I knew I was undone.
1756. C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, III. 340. No man, that drinks water, baulks at a pint … in the day.
1843. Lever, J. Hinton, xxv. Burke … suddenly swerved his horse round, and affecting to baulk, cantered back.
1862. Melbourne Leader, 5 July. His horse balked at a leap, and threw him.
† b. To lie out of the way. Obs.
1591. Spenser, M. Hubberd, 268. Labour that did from his liking balke.
† 4. trans. To miss by error or inadvertence. Obs.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Sept., 93. They … balk the right way, and strayen abroad.
1659. Feltham, Low Countr. (1677), 46. You cannot baulk your Road without the hazard of drowning.
1710. Palmer, Proverbs, 6. Young dogs … balk the true game to ply every scent.
III. 5. trans. To place a balk in the way of. a. To check, hinder, thwart (a person or his action).
1589. Warner, Alb. Eng., VI. xxxi. (1612), 153. I sometimes proffered kindnesse … but … was balked with a blush.
1635. Swan, Spec. M., v. § 2 (1643), 105. The King … must not be baulked in his late proceedings.
1726. De Foe, Hist. Devil, I. xi. (1840), 155. An enemy who is baulked and defeated, but not overcome.
1821. Byron, Two Fosc., I. i. They shall not balk my entrance.
1855. Prescott, Philip II., I. II. xiii. 292. The sturdy cavalier was not to be balked in his purpose.
b. To check (feelings, or a person in his feelings).
1682. Dryden, Rel. Laici, 212. Nor doth it balk my charity to find The Egyptian Bishop of another mind.
1746. Ld. Malmesbury, Lett., I. 37. Lord Talbot was not much baulked with this rebuke.
1855. Ht. Martineau, Autobiog., I. 92. My home affections … all the stronger for having been repressed and baulked.
c. To disappoint (expectations, or any one in his expectations).
1590. Marlowe, Edw. II., II. v. We … must not come so near to balk their lips.
1652. Brome, Jov. Crew, II. 389. May your Store Never decay, nor baulk the Poor.
1725. Pope, Odyss., X. 135. Balk’d of his prey, the yelling monster flies.
1854. Thackeray, Newcomes, I. 286. Balk yourself of the pleasure of bullying.
1873. Spenser, Stud. Sociol., vii. 161. Time after time our hopes are balked.
d. To frustrate, foil, render unsuccessful.
1635. Quarles, Emblems, III. xiv. (1718), 182. To baulk those ills which present joys bewray.
1727. Swift, Censure, Misc. (1735), V. 104. The most effectual Way to baulk Their Malice, is——to let them talk.
1848. Kingsley, Saint’s Trag., II. v. 90. With which we try to balk the curse of Eve.
† 6. trans. and absol. To meet arguments with objections; to quibble, chop logic, bandy words.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., III. ii. 12. Her list in stryfull termes with him to balke.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shrew, I. i. 34. Balke Lodgicke with acquaintaince that you haue.
1653. Manton, Exp. James iii. 2, Wks. IV. 227. They do not divide and baulk with God.
