I. lurch 1 /lɜːtʃ $ lɜːrtʃ/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
1 . to walk or move suddenly in an uncontrolled or unsteady way
lurch forward/to/towards/into etc
Sam hit the gas and the car lurched forward.
He lurched to his feet.
2 . your heart/stomach lurches used to say that your heart or stomach seems to move suddenly because you feel shocked, frightened etc:
Virginia’s heart lurched painfully in her chest.
3 . lurch from one crisis/extreme etc to another ( also lurch from crisis to crisis ) to seem to have no plan and no control over what you are doing:
The industry lurches from crisis to crisis.
II. lurch 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Sense 1: Date: 1800-1900 ; Origin: Origin unknown. ]
[ Sense 2: Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: lurch 'defeat in the card game cribbage' (16-21 centuries) , perhaps from early French lourche a game similar to backgammon ]
1 . a sudden movement:
The train gave a violent lurch.
2 . leave somebody in the lurch to leave someone at a time when you should stay and help them