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Balk vs Calk - What's the difference?

balk | calk |

As nouns the difference between balk and calk

is that balk is ridge, an unplowed strip of land while calk is a pointed projection on a horseshoe to prevent it slipping.

As verbs the difference between balk and calk

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 calk is or calk can be to copy (a drawing) by rubbing the back of it with red or black chalk, and then passing a blunt stylus or needle over the lines, so as to leave a tracing on the paper or other thing against which it is laid or held.

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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    calk

    English

    Etymology 1

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A pointed projection on a horseshoe to prevent it slipping.
  • Verb

  • * 1915 April 1, in Gas Age , volume 35, page 328:
  • When a joint was calked , the bell piece was then separated,
  • To make an indentation in the edge of a metal plate, as along a seam in a steam boiler or an iron ship, to force the edge of the upper plate hard against the lower and so fill the crevice.
  • Etymology 2

    Ultimately from (etyl) (lena) .

    Alternative forms

    * (l)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To copy (a drawing) by rubbing the back of it with red or black chalk, and then passing a blunt stylus or needle over the lines, so as to leave a tracing on the paper or other thing against which it is laid or held.
  • Anagrams

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