lurch

Meanings

1. A sudden or unsteady movement.

1. To make such a sudden, unsteady movement.

1. To swallow or eat greedily; to devour; hence, to swallow up.

1. To evade by stooping; to lurk; lie in wait; go about in a sneaking way.
2. To take by surprise; to unexpectedly detain.
3. To rob.

1. A lift or heave.

1. A predicament or difficult situation.
2. An old game played with dice and counters; a variety of the game of tables.
3. A double score in cribbage for the winner when their adversary has not yet pegged their 31st hole.

1. To defeat in the game of cribbage with a lurch (double score as explained under noun entry).
2. To leave someone in the lurch; to cheat.

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”).