verb

Hesitate or be unwilling to accept an idea or undertaking.

he balked at such a drastic solution

eschew,resist,refuse to,be unwilling to,draw the line at,be reluctant to,draw back from,flinch from,shrink from,shy from,recoil from,quail at,demur from,hesitate over,scruple to,take exception to,not like to,hate to,jib at

noun

A roughly squared timber beam.

a balk of timber

joist,purlin,girder,spar,support,strut,stay,brace,scantling,batten,transom,lintel,stringer,balk,board,timber,plank,lath,rafter