To swallow or eat greedily; to devour; hence, to swallow up. [Obs.] Too far off from great cities, which may hinder business; too near them, which lurcheth all provisions, and maketh everything dear. Bacon.
An old game played with dice and counters; a variety of the game of tables.
A double score in cribbage for the winner when his adversary has been left in the lurch. Lady --- has cried her eyes out on losing a lurch. Walpole. To leave one in the lurch. (a) In the game of cribbage, to leave one's adversary so far behind that the game is won before he has scored thirty-one. (b) To leave one behind; hence, to abandon, or fail to stand by, a person in a difficulty. Denham. But though thou'rt of a different church, I will not leave thee in the lurch. Hudibras.
To leave in the lurch; to cheat. [Obs.] Never deceive or lurch the sincere communicant. South.
To steal; to rob. [Obs.] And in the brunt of seventeen battles since He lurched all swords of the garland. Shak.
A sudden roll of a ship to one side, as in heavy weather; hence, a swaying or staggering movement to one side, as that by a drunken man. Fig.: A sudden and capricious inclination of the mind.
To roll or sway suddenly to one side, as a ship or a drunken man.
To withdraw to one side, or to a private place; to lurk. L'Estrange.
To dodge; to shift; to play tricks. I . . . am fain to shuffle, to hedge, and to lurch. Shak.
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