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lurch

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lurch

1  [lurch]
Use lurch in a Sentence
–noun
1. an act or instance of swaying abruptly.
2. a sudden tip or roll to one side, as of a ship or a staggering person.
3. an awkward, swaying or staggering motion or gait.
–verb (used without object)
4. (of a ship) to roll or pitch suddenly.
5. to make a lurch; move with lurches; stagger: The wounded man lurched across the room.
Origin:
1760–70; orig. uncert.

Related forms:
lurch⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
5. lunge, reel, totter.
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lurch

2  [lurch]
–noun
1. a situation at the close of various games in which the loser scores nothing or is far behind the opponent.
—Idiom
2. leave in the lurch, to leave in an uncomfortable or desperate situation; desert in time of trouble: Our best salesperson left us in the lurch at the peak of the busy season.
Origin:
1525–35; < MF lourche a game, n. use of lourche (adj.) discomfited < Gmc; cf. MHG lurz left (hand), OE belyrtan to deceive

lurch

3  [lurch]
–verb (used with object)
1. Archaic. to do out of; defraud; cheat.
2. Obsolete. to acquire through underhanded means; steal; filch.
–verb (used without object)
3. British Dialect. to lurk near a place; prowl.
–noun
4. Archaic. the act of lurking or state of watchfulness.
Origin:
1375–1425; late ME lorchen, appar. var. of lurken to lurk
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To lurch
lurch 1   (lûrch)   
intr.v.   lurched, lurch·ing, lurch·es

  1. To stagger. See Synonyms at blunder.

  2. To roll or pitch suddenly or erratically: The ship lurched in the storm. The car gave a start and then lurched forward.

n.  

  1. A staggering or tottering movement or gait.

  2. An abrupt rolling or pitching.


[Origin unknown.]
lurch'ing·ly adv.
lurch 2   (lûrch)   
n.  The losing position of a cribbage player who scores 30 points or less to the winner's 61.

[Perhaps back-formation from Middle English lurching, a total victory at lorche, a kind of game; perhaps akin to lurken, to lurk; see lurk.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

lurch  (1)
"sudden pitch to one side," 1819 (in Byron's "Don Juan"), from earlier lee-larch (1769), a nautical term for "sudden violent roll to leeward which a ship often takes in a high sea," perhaps from Fr. lacher "to let go," from L. laxus (see lax).

lurch  (2)
"predicament," 1584, from M.E. lurch (v.) "to beat in a game of skill (often by a great many points)," c.1350, probably lit. "to make a complete victory in lorche," a game akin to backgammon, from O.Fr. lourche. The game name is perhaps related to M.E. lurken, lorken "to lie hidden, lie in ambush," or it may be adopted into Fr. from M.H.G. lurz "left," also "wrong."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

lurch

see leave in the lurch.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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