Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Given to stopping and refusing to go on.
  • adjective Difficult to operate or start.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Given to balking; apt to stop abruptly and obstinately refuse to move: as, a balky horse.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Apt to balk.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Refusing to proceed or cooperate.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective stopping short and refusing to go on

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Williams also recalled a balky computer system that routinely displayed nothing but a blue screen and a system to removed gases from the rig's drilling shack that had been in a bypass mode for five years.

    Hispanic Business Magazine 2010

  • Sure, you could say the umps had something to do with the outcome today, but even with the 'balky' call and missed call at first, the game could have easily been won.

    Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local Northsider 2010

  • Sure, you could say the umps had something to do with the outcome today, but even with the 'balky' call and missed call at first, the game could have easily been won.

    Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local milehighsoapbox 2010

  • Sure, you could say the umps had something to do with the outcome today, but even with the 'balky' call and missed call at first, the game could have easily been won.

    Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local jrmanville 2010

  • Sure, you could say the umps had something to do with the outcome today, but even with the 'balky' call and missed call at first, the game could have easily been won.

    Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local jrmanville 2010

  • Sure, you could say the umps had something to do with the outcome today, but even with the 'balky' call and missed call at first, the game could have easily been won.

    Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local admin 2010

  • Sure, you could say the umps had something to do with the outcome today, but even with the 'balky' call and missed call at first, the game could have easily been won.

    Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local jjtorres83 2010

  • Sure, you could say the umps had something to do with the outcome today, but even with the 'balky' call and missed call at first, the game could have easily been won.

    Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local Northsider 2010

  • Sure, you could say the umps had something to do with the outcome today, but even with the 'balky' call and missed call at first, the game could have easily been won.

    Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local jjtorres83 2010

  • Sure, you could say the umps had something to do with the outcome today, but even with the 'balky' call and missed call at first, the game could have easily been won.

    Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local daleg 2010

Comments

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  • Alys shut off the quibble, kicked open a balky door.

    - P.K. Dick, Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said.

    March 27, 2012