| 1. | to lie or wait in concealment, as a person in ambush; remain in or around a place secretly or furtively. |
| 2. | to go furtively; slink; steal. |
| 3. | to exist unperceived or unsuspected. |
| 4. | Chiefly Computers. to read or observe an ongoing discussion without participating in it, as in an Internet newsgroup. |
| 5. | an underhand scheme; dodge. |
| 6. | an easy, somewhat lazy or unethical way of earning a living, performing a task, etc. |
| 7. | a hideout. |
lurk
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lurking messaging, jargon
The activity of one of the "silent majority" in a electronic forum such as Usenet; posting occasionally or not at all but reading the group's postings regularly. This term is not pejorative and indeed is casually used reflexively: "Oh, I'm just lurking". Often used in "the lurkers", the hypothetical audience for the group's flamage-emitting regulars.
Lurking and reading the FAQ are recommended netiquette for beginners who need to learn the history and practises of the group before posting.
(1997-06-14)