Balk vs Avert - What's the difference?

In archaic|lang=en terms the difference between balk and avert

is that balk is (archaic) to pass over or by while avert is (archaic) to turn away.

As verbs the difference between balk and avert

is that balk is (archaic) to pass over or by or balk can be to indicate to fishermen, by shouts or signals from shore, the direction taken by the shoals of herring while avert is to turn aside or away.

As a noun balk

is ridge, an unplowed strip of land.

balk

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) balke, (etyl) balca, either from or influenced by (etyl) .

Alternative forms

* baulk

Noun

(en noun)

ridge, an unplowed strip of land

* Fuller

Bad ploughmen made balks of such ground.

beam, crossbeam

A hindrance or disappointment; a check.

* South

a balk to the confidence of the bold undertaker

A sudden and obstinate stop; a failure.

(sports) deceptive motion; feint

# (baseball) an illegal motion by the pitcher, intended to deceive a runner

# (badminton) motion used to deceive an opponent during a serve

Verb

(en verb)

(archaic) To pass over or by.

To omit, miss, or overlook by chance.

(obsolete) To miss intentionally; to avoid; to shun; to refuse; to let go by; to shirk.

* Evelyn

By reason of the contagion then in London, we balked the nns.

* Bishop Hall

Sick he is, and keeps his bed, and balks his meat.

* Drayton

Nor doth he any creature balk , / But lays on all he meeteth.

To stop, check, block.

To stop short and refuse to go on.

The horse balked .

To refuse suddenly.

To disappoint; to frustrate; to foil; to baffle; to thwart.

to balk expectation

* Byron

They shall not balk my entrance.

To engage in contradiction; to be in opposition.

* Spenser

In strifeful terms with him to balk .

To leave or make balks in.

(Gower)

To leave heaped up; to heap up in piles.

* Shakespeare

Ten thousand bold Scots, two and twenty knights, / Balk'd in their own blood did Sir Walter see.

Etymology 2

Probably from (etyl) .

Verb

(en verb)

To indicate to fishermen, by shouts or signals from shore, the direction taken by the shoals of herring.

(Webster 1913)

References

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avert

English

Verb

(en verb)

To turn aside or away.

To avert the eyes from an object.

To ward off, or prevent, the occurrence or effects of.

How can the danger be averted ?

* Milton

To avert his ire.

* Prior

Till ardent prayer averts the public woe.

(archaic) To turn away.

* Thomson

Cold and averting from our neighbour's good.

(archaic) To turn away.

* Francis Bacon

When atheists and profane persons do hear of so many discordant and contrary opinions in religion, it doth avert them from the church.

Derived terms

* averter * avertress

Synonyms

* (to prevent) * See also

References

* " avert" at OneLook® Dictionary Search .

Anagrams

* ----