lurch

1
[ lurch ]
See synonyms for: lurchlurchedlurching on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. an act or instance of swaying abruptly.

  2. an awkward, swaying or staggering motion or gait.

  1. a sudden tip or roll to one side, as of a ship or a staggering person.

verb (used without object)
  1. to make a lurch; move with lurches; stagger: The wounded man lurched across the room.

  2. (of a ship) to roll or pitch suddenly.

Origin of lurch

1
First recorded in 1800–10; origin uncertain

Other words for lurch

Other words from lurch

  • lurch·ing·ly, adverb

Words Nearby lurch

Other definitions for lurch (2 of 3)

lurch2
[ lurch ]

noun
  1. a situation at the close of various games in which the loser scores nothing or is far behind the opponent.

Origin of lurch

2
First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French lourche a game, noun use of lourche (adjective) “defeated,” from a Germanic language; compare Middle High German lurz “left (hand); wrong,” lürzen “to deceive,” Old English belyrtan “to deceive”

Other definitions for lurch (3 of 3)

lurch3
[ lurch ]

verb (used without object)
  1. British Dialect. to lurk near a place; prowl.

verb (used with object)
  1. Archaic. to do out of; defraud; cheat.

  2. Obsolete. to acquire through underhanded means; steal; filch.

noun
  1. Archaic. the act of lurking or state of watchfulness.

Origin of lurch

3
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English lorchen “to skulk,” apparently variant of lurken lurk

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lurch in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lurch (1 of 3)

lurch1

/ (lɜːtʃ) /


verb(intr)
  1. to lean or pitch suddenly to one side

  2. to stagger or sway

noun
  1. the act or an instance of lurching

Origin of lurch

1
C19: origin unknown

Derived forms of lurch

  • lurching, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for lurch (2 of 3)

lurch2

/ (lɜːtʃ) /


noun
  1. leave someone in the lurch to desert someone in trouble

  2. cribbage the state of a losing player with less than 30 points at the end of a game (esp in the phrase in the lurch)

Origin of lurch

2
C16: from French lourche a game similar to backgammon, apparently from lourche (adj) deceived, probably of Germanic origin

British Dictionary definitions for lurch (3 of 3)

lurch3

/ (lɜːtʃ) /


verb
  1. (intr) archaic, or dialect to prowl or steal about suspiciously

Origin of lurch

3
C15: perhaps a variant of lurk

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with lurch

lurch

see leave in the lurch.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.