LURCH

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does lurch mean? 

• LURCH (noun)
  The noun LURCH has 4 senses:

1. an unsteady uneven gait

2. a decisive defeat in a game (especially in cribbage)

3. abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other conveyance)

4. the act of moving forward suddenly

  Familiarity information: LURCH used as a noun is uncommon.

• LURCH (verb)
  The verb LURCH has 5 senses:

1. walk as if unable to control one's movements

2. move abruptly

3. move slowly and unsteadily

4. loiter about, with no apparent aim

5. defeat by a lurch

  Familiarity information: LURCH used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LURCH (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An unsteady uneven gait

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

lurch; stagger; stumble

Hypernyms ("lurch" is a kind of...):

gait (a person's manner of walking)

Derivation:

lurch (walk as if unable to control one's movements)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A decisive defeat in a game (especially in cribbage)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("lurch" is a kind of...):

defeat; licking (an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest)

Derivation:

lurch (defeat by a lurch)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other conveyance)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

lurch; pitch; pitching

Context example:

the pitching and tossing was quite exciting

Hypernyms ("lurch" is a kind of...):

motility; motion; move; movement (a change of position that does not entail a change of location)

Domain category:

ship (a vessel that carries passengers or freight)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "lurch"):

careen; rock; sway; tilt (pitching dangerously to one side)

Derivation:

lurch (move abruptly)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The act of moving forward suddenly

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

lunge; lurch

Hypernyms ("lurch" is a kind of...):

motion; move; movement (the act of changing location from one place to another)

Derivation:

lurch (move abruptly)

• LURCH (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they lurch    ... he / she / it lurches   
Past simple: lurched   
Past participle: lurched   
-ing form: lurching   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Walk as if unable to control one's movements

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

careen; keel; lurch; reel; stagger; swag

Context example:

The drunken man staggered into the room

Hypernyms (to "lurch" is one way to...):

walk (use one's feet to advance; advance by steps)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

lurch (an unsteady uneven gait)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move abruptly

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

lurch; pitch; shift

Context example:

The ship suddenly lurched to the left

Hypernyms (to "lurch" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

lurch (the act of moving forward suddenly)

lurch (abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other conveyance))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Move slowly and unsteadily

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

The truck lurched down the road

Hypernyms (to "lurch" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Sense 4

Meaning:

Loiter about, with no apparent aim

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

lurch; prowl

Hypernyms (to "lurch" is one way to...):

footle; hang around; lallygag; linger; loaf; loiter; lollygag; lounge; lurk; mess about; mill about; mill around; tarry (be about)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 5

Meaning:

Defeat by a lurch

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

lurch; skunk

Hypernyms (to "lurch" is one way to...):

defeat; get the better of; overcome (win a victory over)

Domain category:

card game; cards (a game played with playing cards)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

lurch (a decisive defeat in a game (especially in cribbage))

 Context examples 

The seaman lurched across the room and took up the pen.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He stumbled with his old awkwardness after her, and his shoulders swung and lurched perilously.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

“I never set eyes on ’im yet,” cried Berks, lurching off the table.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Thomas Mugridge crawled weakly across the galley floor, and a short lurch of the Ghost sent him staggering.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The incident made it think, apparently, that the neighborhood was dangerous, for it slowly lurched off through the wood, followed by its mate and its three enormous infants.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I was just thinking how busy drink and the devil were at that very moment in the cabin of the HISPANIOLA, when I was surprised by a sudden lurch of the coracle.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

On the first occasion Mr. Thomas Traddles was left—let me say, in short, in the lurch.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Then the sled lurched ahead in what appeared a rapid succession of jerks, though it never really came to a dead stop again...half an inch...an inch... two inches...

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

He fought with his fear again, overcame it, hitched the pack still farther over on his left shoulder, and lurched on down the slope.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

“Ah, Mr Fox,” cried the cat. “You with your hundred arts are left in the lurch! Had you been able to climb like me, you would not have lost your life.”

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)