Definition of LURCH

lurch

Plural: lurches

Noun

  • an unsteady uneven gait
  • a decisive defeat in a game (especially in cribbage)
  • abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other conveyance)
  • the act of moving forward suddenly
  • A sudden or unsteady movement.
  • A lift or heave.
  • A predicament or difficult situation.
  • An old game played with dice and counters; a variety of the game of tables.
  • A double score in cribbage for the winner when their adversary has not yet pegged their 31st hole.

Verb

Verb Forms: lurched, lurching, lurches

  • To make a sudden, unsteady, or abrupt movement.
  • walk as if unable to control one's movements
  • move abruptly
    • "The ship suddenly lurched to the left"
  • move slowly and unsteadily
    • "The truck lurched down the road"
  • loiter about, with no apparent aim
  • defeat by a lurch
  • To make such a sudden, unsteady movement.
  • To swallow or eat greedily; to devour; hence, to swallow up.
  • To evade by stooping; to lurk; lie in wait; go about in a sneaking way.
  • To take by surprise; to unexpectedly detain.
  • To rob.
  • To defeat in the game of cribbage with a lurch (double score as explained under noun entry).
  • To leave someone in the lurch; to cheat.

Examples

  • His strategy would LURCH from aggressive to defensive, keeping opponents guessing.
  • the lurch of a ship, or of a drunkard
  • to leave someone in the lurch

Origin / Etymology

Originally a nautical term, found in lee-larches (“the sudden and violent rolls of a ship to the leeward in high seas”), of unknown origin. Possibly the same as lurch (“to move stealthily, evade by stooping”) (see below), or from French lâcher (“to let go”).

Scrabble Score: 10

lurch: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
lurch: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
lurch: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

lurch: valid Words With Friends Word