lurch Definition

lurch¹
verb, intr lurches, lurched, lurching

1. Said of a person: to stagger unsteadily.

Example: He lurched towards the nearest bar
Thesaurus: stagger, stumble, reel, totter, weave.
2. Said of ships, etc: to make a sudden roll to one side.

Thesaurus: pitch, lean, list, tilt.

noun lurches

1. An act of staggering.

Example: made a lurch for the door
2. A sudden roll to one side.

Etymology: 18c.

---

lurch²
noun

1. cards.
A state of play in cribbage, whist, etc where one side or player is being roundly beaten by the other.

Idiom: leave someone in the lurch

colloq
To abandon them in a difficult situation, especially when they might have expected help.

Etymology: 16c: from French lourche a game which is believed to have been like backgammon, popular in 16c.