1. Pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
   "He baulked at signing the contract";
   - hesitate, waver, waffle [N. Amer, informal], balk
    
2. Refuse to comply
   "The employee baulked at the unreasonable demands";
   - resist, balk, jib

1. Something that interferes with (or delays) action or progress
   "The missing permit proved to be a major baulk to construction";
   - hindrance, hinderance [rare], deterrent, impediment, balk, check, handicap
    
2. The area on a billiard table behind the balkline
   "a player with ball in hand must play from the baulk";
   - balk
    
3. One of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof
   "The carpenter installed new baulks to strengthen the roof";
   - rafter, balk

Derived forms: baulks, baulking, baulked

Type of: area, beam, difficultness, difficulty, disobey, expanse, hesitate, pause, surface area

Part of: billiard table, pool table, snooker table

Encyclopedia: Baulk