lurch
1[ lurch ]
/ lɜrtʃ /
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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
1First recorded in 1800–10; origin uncertain
OTHER WORDS FROM lurch
lurch·ing·ly, adverbOther 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
2First 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
3First 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. 2022
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, adjectiveWord 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
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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.