baulk

Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

baulk [baulk baulks baulked baulking] (BrE) (NAmE usually balk)BrE [bɔːk] NAmE [bɔːk] verb
1. intransitive ~ (at sth) to be unwilling to do sth or become involved in sth because it is difficult, dangerous, etc
•Many parents may baulk at the idea of paying $100 for a pair of shoes.
•He baulked for a moment. ‘I can't afford it,’ he finally admitted.
2. intransitive ~ (at sth) (of a horse)to stop suddenly and refuse to jump a fence, etc.
3. transitive ~ sb (of sth) usually passive (formal)to prevent sb from getting sth or doing sth
•She looked like a lion baulked of its prey.
See also: ↑balk
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
late Old English balc, from Old Norse bálkr ‘partition’. The original use was ‘unploughed ridge’, later ‘land left unploughed by mistake’, hence ‘blunder, omission’, giving rise to the verb use ‘miss (a chance)’. A late Middle English sense ‘obstacle’ gave rise to the verb senses ‘hesitate’ and ‘hinder’.

• Từ đồng nghĩa / Synonyms:
  rafter, balk, hindrance, hinderance, deterrent, impediment, check, handicap, resist, jib