Baulk
/bɔːk/noun
To fail to proceed with an action, or to stop short of doing something.
Did you know?Baulk is linked to a medieval word for a ridge or beam, and its sense of “obstacle” later grew into the modern idea of balking at a move or action.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhel-
“to swell, blow, or be prominent”
Old English
OE
balca
“a ridge, bank, or beam-like partition”
Middle English
ME
baulk
“a ridge, beam, or ridge of unploughed land; later, a hindrance”
16th Century
English
baulken
“to stop short, hinder, or obstruct”
Modern English
English
baulk
“to hesitate, refuse, or recoil from an intended action”