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lurch

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Lurch is defined as leaving someone without help or without something you promised or a sudden movement forward or to one side.

(noun)

An example of lurch is where you figuratively leave someone when you promise to pick up your friend's kids from school and then call five minutes before the bell and cancel.
An example of lurch is when someone unexpectedly and rapidly falls forward.

The definition of lurch is to walk or move unsteadily and without stability.

(verb)

An example of lurch is when you are intoxicated and stumbling around.

See lurch in Webster's New World College Dictionary

intransitive verb

to roll, pitch, or sway suddenly forward or to one side
to stagger

Origin: < ?

noun

a lurching movement; sudden rolling, pitching, etc.

Origin: earlier lee-lurch < ?

intransitive verb

Obsolete to remain furtively near a place; lurk

Origin: ME lorchen, var. of lurk

transitive verb

Archaic to prevent (a person) from getting his fair share of something
Obsolete to get by cheating, robbing, tricking, etc.

noun

Obsolete the act of lurching

noun

Archaic a situation in certain card games, in which the winner has more than double the score of the loser

Origin: Fr lourche, name of a 16th-c. game like backgammon, prob. < OFr, duped < MDu lurz, left (hand), hence unlucky, akin to MHG lërz, left, lürzen, to deceive

See lurch in American Heritage Dictionary 4

intransitive verb lurched, lurch·ing, lurch·es

To stagger. See Synonyms at blunder.
To roll or pitch suddenly or erratically: The ship lurched in the storm. The car gave a start and then lurched forward.

noun