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lurch

1
[ lurch ]
/ lɜrtʃ /
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See synonyms for: lurch / lurched / lurching on Thesaurus.com

noun
an act or instance of swaying abruptly.
an awkward, swaying or staggering motion or gait.
a sudden tip or roll to one side, as of a ship or a staggering person.
verb (used without object)
to make a lurch; move with lurches; stagger: The wounded man lurched across the room.
(of a ship) to roll or pitch suddenly.
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Origin of lurch

1
First recorded in 1800–10; origin uncertain

OTHER WORDS FROM lurch

lurch·ing·ly, adverb

Other definitions for lurch (2 of 3)

lurch2
[ lurch ]
/ lɜrtʃ /

noun
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 ]
/ lɜrtʃ /

verb (used without object)
British Dialect. to lurk near a place; prowl.
verb (used with object)
Archaic. to do out of; defraud; cheat.
Obsolete. to acquire through underhanded means; steal; filch.
noun
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. 2023

How to use lurch in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lurch (1 of 3)

lurch1
/ (lɜːtʃ) /

verb (intr)
to lean or pitch suddenly to one side
to stagger or sway
noun
the act or an instance of lurching

Derived forms of lurch

lurching, adjective

Word Origin for lurch

C19: origin unknown

British Dictionary definitions for lurch (2 of 3)

lurch2
/ (lɜːtʃ) /

noun
leave someone in the lurch to desert someone in trouble
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)

Word Origin for lurch

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

Word Origin for lurch

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.
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