verb
- third-person singular present tense of 'bawk'; to hesitate or refuse to proceed, especially out of fear or reluctance
Usage: informal; chiefly dialectal or regional
Examples
- He bawks at the idea of jumping off the high dive.
- She bawks whenever she has to speak in front of a large audience.
- The horse bawks at the unfamiliar fence and refuses to jump.
- He bawks at spending so much money on a single purchase.
- The team bawks when facing a stronger opponent.