Obs. in polite use. Forms: 1 bealluc, 4 ballok, 4–5 ballokke, -oke, 5 balluk, -uc, balok, -ock, 6 ballocke, 6– ballock. [Prob. a deriv. of Teut. ball- (see BALL sb.1), of which the OE. repr. would be *beall-u, -a, or -e.] A testicle.
c. 1000. Gloss., in Wright, Voc. (W.), /265. Testiculi, beallucas.
1382. Wyclif, Lev. xxii. 24. Al beeste that … kitt and taken awey the ballokes is.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, Hawking, C viij. Geue hir the ballockye [1496 balockes] of a Buc.
1579. Baker, Guydon’s Quest. Cyrurg., 33.
1721–1800. in Bailey. Not in J.
† b. Comb. (all obs.): ballock-cod, the scrotum; ballock(’s)-grass (also hare’s and sweet ballocks), popular name of several species of orchis, from the shape of the tubers; ballock-hafted a., with a ball(ock)-shaped handle; ballock-knife, ? one worn at the girdle (cf. L. clūnāculum, f. clūnis); ballock-stone = BALLOCK; ballock-wort, orchis.
c. 1450. in Wright, Voc. (W.), /599. Omembrana, balluc cod. /677. Piga, balloke code.
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 128 b. Whyt satyrion … or in other more vnmanerly speche, hares ballockes.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 222. Some cal it also Orchis … Ballock grasse … and Bastard Satyrion.
1597. Gerard, Herbal, I. cii. § 4. 169. Orchis spiralis … some call them Sweet Ballocks.
1655. Moufet & Bennet, Health’s Improv. (1746), 313. Ballock’s-grass, or Satyrium.
1438. Test. Ebor. (1855), 63. Unum dagar ballokhefted.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XV. 121. A ballok-knyf With botones ouergylte.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst. 236. I have brysten both my balok stones, So fast hyed I hedyr.
c. 1450. in Wright, Voc. (W.), /609. Saturia, ballokwort.
