A term used to indicate what happens when an animal stops movement suddenly.

late 14c., "to leave an unplowed ridge when plowing," from balk (n.). Extended meaning "to omit, intentionally neglect" is mid-15c. Most modern senses are figurative, from the noti [..]

Old English balca "ridge, bank," from or influenced by Old Norse balkr "ridge of land," especially between two plowed furrows, both from Proto-Germanic *balkon- (source also of Old [..]

A side wall of an excavated unit (square) or a partition of earth left standing between adjoining excavation units. Balks are often left to aid with stratigraphic analysis.

  to let slip; to dispute logic.

  a little mound or heap.

1) Turf left unplowed to provide separation between strips.    (Gies, Frances and Joseph. Life in a Medieval Village, 243) 2) A ridge left between two furrows, or a strip of ground left unploughed [..]

(v) refuse to comply(n) something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress(n) one of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof(n) the area on a billiard table behind the b [..]

(In cerpentry) a piece of timber from 4” to 10” square.

A hewn tree; a piece of timber for masts, &c.

if the pitcher doesn't pitch when he's started his pitching motion, it's a balk and runners are awarded an extra base.

A balk or baulk is committed when the pitcher fails to deliver a ball after making any of the preliminary movements to deliver it; if he steps outside the lines of his position, before the ball leaves his hand, when in the act of pitching; or, if he jerks or throws the ball to the batsman. (By 1864, it was also a balk if the pitcher had either foot [..]

An illegal act by the pitcher with at least one runner on base.  All runners are entitled to advance one base.

An uncultivated ridge formed in the , caused by the action of ploughing. * Fuller *: Bad ploughmen made balks of such ground. (archaeology) the wall of earth at the edge of an excavation beam, [..]