All 4 Uses of
balk
in
Unbroken, by Hillenbrand
- When the principal balked, Pete asked him if he could live with allowing Louie to fail.†
p. 14.0 *
- A pretty place caught Lubin's eye, but when he suggested it, his hosts balked: a Star of David hung in the window.†
p. 37.0
- The men balked, but the guards forced them forward, and the POWs began jumping.†
p. 283.2
- In keeping with the goal of reconciliation, the memorial council sought the participation of relatives of the guards who'd been convicted and hanged, but the families balked, fearing ostracism.†
p. 394.8
Definitions:
-
(1)
(balk) to hesitate, refuse, or stop suddenly
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
Less common specialized meanings:
Baseball: an illegal pitching motion while runners are on base
Equestrian: when a horse refuses to obey a rider -- especially when stopping in front of a jump
Billiards: an area of the billiard table from which opening shots with the cue ball are made
Bowling: when a bowler stops in mid-swing without releasing the ball
Badminton: any deceptive movement that disconcerts an opponent before or during the service
Archeology: a side wall of an excavated partition of earth left standing between adjoining excavation units
Agriculture: a strip of ground left unplowed as a boundary line between two plowed portions
Architecture: one of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof
Carpentry: a thick piece of unfinished wood