/ lɜːk; NAmE lɜːrk/
■ verb , noun [ v ]
1.
[usually + adv. / prep. ] to wait somewhere secretly, especially because you are going to do sth bad or illegal
SYN skulk :
Why are you lurking around outside my house?
A crocodile was lurking just below the surface.
2.
when sth unpleasant or dangerous lurks , it is present but not in an obvious way :
At night, danger lurks in these streets.
3.
( computing ) to read a discussion in a chat room , etc. on the Internet, without taking part in it yourself
■ noun
( AustralE , NZE , informal ) a clever trick that is used in order to get sth
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : perhaps from lour + the frequentative suffix -k (as in talk ).