lurch

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun an unsteady uneven gait
  2. noun a decisive defeat in a game (especially in cribbage)
  3. noun abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other conveyance)

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”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

stumble, stagger

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