I. ˈlərk, -ə̄k, -əik intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English lurken; akin to Norwegian lurke to move slowly, sneak away, Middle High German lūren to lie in wait, watch — more at lower
1.
a. : to lie in ambush : prowl , skulk
guerrillas lurk in the mountains
unlicensed traders lurking along the shore — R.A.Billington
below the surface lurk little beasts of prey — Alice Duncan-Kemp
b. : to move furtively or inconspicuously : sneak , steal
shall I lurk about this country like a thief — Henry Fielding
cook lurks down before daylight to scour her pots and pans — W.M.Thackeray
c. : to be constantly present or persist in staying : remain , linger
melancholy that lurks in the eyes of cripples — Ellen Glasgow
bass which lurk among the cypress knees — American Guide Series: Tennessee
the excitement of the first act still lurking in the air — Richard Fletcher
2.
a. : to be hidden but capable of being discovered : be potentially present
wants what he sees, not what may be lurking in the future — Gertrude Atherton
in the play lurked a wholesome plea for freedom — Leslie Rees
the obviously genuine humor which lurked behind his utterances — Alvin Redman
specifically : to constitute a latent threat
malaria lurked in the marshy lands — American Guide Series: Virginia
these prisoners represent sinister influences that will lurk in the world long after their bodies have returned to dust — R.H.Jackson
b. : to remain out of sight : lie hidden
beating the thickets … searching out some spring calves he knew were lurking there — P.B.Kyne
diamonds were said to lurk in the sand and gravel — Emily Hahn
treasures … might have lurked in the next book to be turned from Greek or Arabic into Latin — R.W.Southern
Synonyms:
couch , skulk , slink , sneak : these five words have in common a strong implication of furtive action. lurk often suggests a place of concealment
mountain defiles that concealed lurking Indians — American Guide Series: Oregon
or a readiness to attack
a hungry shark that was lurking at a little distance — Francis Birtles
couch (archaic in this sense) is to make oneself inconspicuous for some reason
no vast obscurity or misty vale, where bloody murder … can couch for fear — Shakespeare
skulk usually carries a strong implication of sinister intention or of cowardice or fear
coyotes skulking near the cattle — Zane Grey
eludes his pursuers and skulks off through the swamp — American Guide Series: Arkansas
to be eternally conscious of enemies on every side; to skulk behind hedges; to hide in holes and corners — Kenneth Roberts
slink implies cautious movement to evade observation
a cat slunk, a padding shadow, across the white space — Ruth Park
his way of slinking round a corner like a fox — Edith Sitwell
Hagen slunk down the dark stairs, past a sound of snoring — Berton Roueché
sneak may add a suggestion of deliberate intent to enter or leave a place or position by sly, indirect, usually underhanded methods
I sneak out of the house and go to a Dairy Company's tea shop — Arnold Bennett
had to sneak into his old laboratory at night with a key he still keeps — D.C.Peattie
typhoid fever … sneaks in when sanitation fails — Justina Hill
II. noun
( -s )
slang Britain : a method of fraud : a trick especially of a beggar or swindler