/ lɜːtʃ; NAmE lɜːrtʃ/ verb , noun
■ verb [ v ]
1.
to make a sudden, unsteady movement forward or sideways
SYN stagger , sway :
Suddenly the horse lurched to one side and the child fell off.
The man lurched drunkenly out of the pub.
( figurative )
Their relationship seems to lurch from one crisis to the next.
2.
if your heart or stomach lurches , you have a sudden feeling of fear or excitement
■ noun
[ usually sing. ] a sudden strong movement that moves you forward or sideways and nearly makes you lose your balance :
The train gave a violent lurch.
His heart gave a lurch when he saw her.
•
IDIOMS
- leave sb in the lurch
••
WORD ORIGIN
verb and noun late 17th cent. (as a noun denoting the sudden leaning of a ship to one side): of unknown origin.
leave sb in the lurch. mid 16th cent. (denoting a state of discomfiture): from French lourche , the name of a game resembling backgammon, used in the phrase demeurer lourche be discomfited.