Lurch Lurch intransitive verb [ Latin lurcare , lurcari .] To swallow or eat greedily; to devour; hence, to swallow up. [ Obsolete]

Too far off from great cities, which may hinder business; too near them, which lurcheth all provisions, and maketh everything dear.

Bacon.

Lurch Lurch noun [ Old French lourche name of a game; as adj., deceived, embarrassed.] 1. An old game played with dice and counters; a variety of the game of tables.

2. A double score in cribbage for the winner when his adversary has been left in the lurch .

Lady --- has cried her eyes out on losing a lurch .

Walpole.

To leave one in the lurch . (a) In the game of cribbage, to leave one's adversary so far behind that the game is won before he has scored thirty-one . (b) To leave one behind; hence, to abandon, or fail to stand by, a person in a difficulty. Denham.

But though thou'rt of a different church,
I will not leave thee in the lurch .

Hudibras.

Lurch Lurch transitive verb 1. To leave in the lurch; to cheat. [ Obsolete]

Never deceive or lurch the sincere communicant.

South.

2. To steal; to rob. [ Obsolete]

And in the brunt of seventeen battles since
He lurched all swords of the garland.

Shak.

Lurch Lurch noun [ Confer W. llerch , llerc , a frisk, a frisking backward or forward, a loitering, a lurking, a lurking, llercian , llerciaw , to be idle, to frisk; or perhaps from English lurch to lurk.] A sudden roll of a ship to one side, as in heavy weather; hence, a swaying or staggering movement to one side, as that by a drunken man. Fig.: A sudden and capricious inclination of the mind.

Lurch Lurch intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Lurched ; present participle & verbal noun Lurching .] To roll or sway suddenly to one side, as a ship or a drunken man.

Lurch Lurch intransitive verb [ A variant of lurk .] 1. To withdraw to one side, or to a private place; to lurk. L'Estrange.

2. To dodge; to shift; to play tricks.

I . . . am fain to shuffle, to hedge, and to lurch .

Shak.

Lurcher Lurch"er noun [ See Lurch to lurk.] 1. One that lurches or lies in wait; one who watches to pilfer, or to betray or entrap; a poacher.

2. (Zoology) One of a mongrel breed of dogs said to have been a cross between the sheep dog, greyhound, and spaniel. It hunts game silently, by scent, and is often used by poachers.

Lurcher Lurch"er noun [ Latin lurco , lurcho , a glutton. See 1st Lurch .] A glutton; a gormandizer. [ Obsolete]

Lurchline Lurch"line` noun The line by which a fowling net was pulled over so as to inclose the birds.

Lurdan Lur"dan adjective Stupid; blockish. [ Obsolete]

Lurdan Lur"dan noun [ Old French lourdin , from lourd heavy, dull, thick-headed. See Lord .] A blockhead. [ Obsolete]

Lure Lure noun [ Old French loire , loirre , loerre , French leurre lure, decoy; of German origin; confer Middle High German luoder , German luder lure, carrion.] 1. A contrivance somewhat resembling a bird, and often baited with raw meat; -- used by falconers in recalling hawks. Shak.

2. Any enticement; that which invites by the prospect of advantage or pleasure; a decoy. Milton.

3. (Hat Making) A velvet smoothing brush. Knight.

Lure Lure transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Lured ; present participle & verbal noun Luring .] [ Old French loirer , loirier , French leurrer . See Lure , noun ] To draw to the lure; hence, to allure or invite by means of anything that promises pleasure or advantage; to entice; to attract.

I am not lured with love.

Piers Plowman.

And various science lures the learned eye.

Gay.

Lure Lure intransitive verb To recall a hawk or other animal.

Lurg Lurg noun (Zoology) A large marine annelid ( Nephthys cęca ), inhabiting the sandy shores of Europe and America. It is whitish, with a pearly luster, and grows to the length of eight or ten inches.

Lurid Lu"rid adjective [ Latin luridus .] 1. Pale yellow; ghastly pale; wan; gloomy; dismal.

Fierce o'er their beauty blazed the lurid flame.

Thomson.

Wrapped in drifts of lurid smoke
On the misty river tide.

Tennyson.

2. (Botany) Having a brown color tinged with red, as of flame seen through smoke.

3. (Zoology) Of a color tinged with purple, yellow, and gray.

Lurk Lurk (lūrk) intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Lurked (lūrkt); present participle & verbal noun Lurking .] [ Middle English lurken , lorken , probably a dim. from the source of English lower to frown. See Lower , and confer Lurch , a sudden roll, Lurch to lurk.] 1. To lie hid; to lie in wait.

Like wild beasts, lurking in loathsome den.

Spenser.

Let us . . . lurk privily for the innocent.

Prointransitive verb 11.

2. To keep out of sight.

The defendant lurks and wanders about in Berks.

Blackstone.

Lurker Lurk"er noun 1. One who lurks.

2. A small fishing boat. [ Prov. Eng.]

Lurry Lur"ry noun [ W. llwry precipitant, a provision.] A confused heap; a throng, as of persons; a jumble, as of sounds. [ Obsolete]

To turn prayer into a kind of lurry .

Milton.

Luscious Lus"cious adjective [ Prob. for lustious , from lusty , or perhaps a corruption of luxurious . Confer Lush , Lusty .]

1. Sweet; delicious; very grateful to the taste; toothsome; excessively sweet or rich.

And raisins keep their luscious , native taste.

Dryden.

2. Cloying; fulsome.

He had a tedious, luscious way of talking.

Jeffrey.

3. Gratifying a depraved sense; obscene. [ R.] Steele.

-- Lus"cious*ly , adverb -- Lus"cious*ness , noun

Lusern Lu"sern noun [ French loup- cervier , Latin lupus cervarius .] (Zoology) A lynx. See 1st Lucern and Loup-cervier .

Lush Lush adjective [ Prob. an abbrev. of lushious , from luscious .] Full of juice or succulence. Tennyson.

How lush and lusty the grass looks! how green!

Shak.

Lush Lush noun [ Etymol uncertain; said to be from Lushington , name of a London brewer.] Liquor, esp. intoxicating liquor; drink. [ Slang] C. Lever.

Lushburg Lush"burg noun See Lussheburgh . [ Obsolete]

Lusitanian Lu`si·ta"ni·an adjective Pertaining to Lusitania, the ancient name of the region almost coinciding with Portugal. -- noun One of the people of Lusitania.

Lusk Lusk adjective Lazy; slothful. [ Obsolete]

Lusk Lusk noun A lazy fellow; a lubber. [ Obsolete] T. Kendall.

Lusk Lusk intransitive verb To be idle or unemployed. [ Obsolete]

Luskish Lusk"ish adjective Inclined to be lazy. Marston. -- Lusk"ish*ly , adverb - Lusk"ish*ness , noun [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Lusorious, Lusory Lu·so"ri·ous, Lu"so·ry adjective [ Latin lusorius . See Illusory .] Used in play; sportive; playful. [ Obsolete] Bp. Sanderson.

Lussheburgh Lus"she·burgh noun A spurious coin of light weight imported into England from Luxemburg , or Lussheburgh, as it was formerly called. [ Obsolete]

God wot, no Lussheburghes payen ye.

Chaucer.

Lust Lust noun [ Anglo-Saxon lust , lust , pleasure, longing; akin to Old Saxon , D., G., & Swedish lust , Dan. & Icelandic lyst , Goth lustus , and perhaps tom Sanskrit lush to desire, or to English loose . Confer List to please, Listless .] 1. Pleasure. [ Obsolete] " Lust and jollity." Chaucer.

2. Inclination; desire. [ Obsolete]

For little lust had she to talk of aught.

Spenser.

My lust to devotion is little.

Bp. Hall.

3. Longing desire; eagerness to possess or enjoy; -- in a had sense; as, the lust of gain.

The lust of reigning.

Milton.

4. Licentious craving; sexual appetite. Milton.

5. Hence: Virility; vigor; active power. [ Obsolete] Bacon.

Lust Lust intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Lusted ; present participle & verbal noun Lusting .] [ Anglo-Saxon lystan . See Lust , noun , and confer List to choose.] 1. To list; to like. [ Obsolete] Chaucer. " Do so if thou lust . " Latimer.

» In earlier usage lust was impersonal.

In the water vessel he it cast
When that him luste .

Chaucer.

2. To have an eager, passionate, and especially an inordinate or sinful desire, as for the gratification of the sexual appetite or of covetousness; -- often with after .

Whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.

Deut. xii. 15.

Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Matt. v. 28.

The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy.

James iv. 5.

Luster Lust"er noun One who lusts.

Luster, Lustre Lus"ter, Lus"tre noun [ Latin lustrum : confer French lustre .] A period of five years; a lustrum.

Both of us have closed the tenth luster .

Bolingbroke.

Luster, Lustre Lus"ter, Lus"tre noun [ French lustre ; confer Italian lustro ; both from Latin lustrare to purify, go about (like the priests at the lustral sacrifice), traverse, survey, illuminate, from lustrum a purificatory sacrifice; perhaps akin to English loose . But lustrare to illuminate is perhaps a different word, and akin to Latin lucere to be light or clear, to shine. See Lucid , and confer Illustrious , Lustrum .]

1. Brilliancy; splendor; brightness; glitter.

The right mark and very true luster of the diamond.

Sir T. More.

The scorching sun was mounted high,
In all its luster , to the noonday sky.

Addison.

» There is a tendency to limit the use of luster , in this sense, to the brightness of things which do not shine with their own light, or at least do not blaze or glow with heat. One speaks of the luster of a diamond, or of silk, or even of the stars, but not often now of the luster of the sun, a coal of fire, or the like.

2. Renown; splendor; distinction; glory.

His ancestors continued about four hundred years, rather without obscurity than with any great luster .

Sir H. Wotton.

3. A candlestick, chandelier, girandole, or the like, generally of an ornamental character. Pope.

4. (Min.) The appearance of the surface of a mineral as affected by, or dependent upon, peculiarities of its reflecting qualities.

» The principal kinds of luster recognized are: metallic , adamantine , vitreous , resinous , greasy , pearly , and silky . With respect to intensity, luster is characterized as splendent , shining , glistening , glimmering , and dull .

5. A substance which imparts luster to a surface, as plumbago and some of the glazes.

6. A fabric of wool and cotton with a lustrous surface, -- used for women's dresses.

Luster ware , earthenware decorated by applying to the glazing metallic oxides, which acquire brilliancy in the process of baking.

Luster, Lustre Lus"ter, Lus"tre transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Lustred ; present participle & verbal noun Lustering , or Lustring .] To make lustrous. [ R. & Poetic]

Flooded and lustered with her loosened gold.

Lowell.

Lustering Lus"ter·ing noun 1. The act or process of imparting a luster, as to pottery.

2. The brightening of a metal in the crucible when it becomes pure, as in certain refining processes.

Lusterless, Lustreless Lus"ter·less, Lus"tre·less adjective Destitute of luster; dim; dull.

Lustful Lust"ful adjective 1. Full of lust; excited by lust. Spenser. Tillotson.

2. Exciting lust; characterized by lust or sensuality. " Lustful orgies." Milton.

3. Strong; lusty. [ Obsolete] " Lustful health." Sackville.

Syn. -- sensual; fleshly; carnal; inordinate; licentious; lewd; unchaste; impure; libidinous; lecherous.

-- Lust"ful*ly , adverb -- Lust"ful*ness , noun

Lustic Lus"tic adjective Lusty; vigorous. [ Obsolete]

Lustihead Lus"ti·head noun [ Lusty + -head .] See Lustihood . [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Lustihood Lus"ti·hood noun [ Lusty + -hood .] State of being lusty; vigor of body. " Full of lustihood ." Tennyson.

Lustily Lus"ti·ly adverb In a lusty or vigorous manner.

Lustiness Lus"ti·ness noun State of being lusty; vigor; strength.

Lustless Lust"less adjective [ CF. Listless .] 1. Lacking vigor; weak; spiritless. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

2. Free from sexual lust.

Lustral Lus"tral adjective [ Latin lustralis , from lustrum : confer French lustral . See Lustrum .] 1. Of or pertaining to, or used for, purification; as, lustral days; lustral water.

2. Of or pertaining to a lustrum.

Lustrate Lus"trate transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Lustrated ; present participle & verbal noun Lustrating .] [ Latin lustratus , past participle of lustrare to lustrate, from lustrum . See Lustrum .] To make clear or pure by means of a propitiatory offering; to purify.

We must purge, and cleanse, and lustrate the whole city.

Hammond.

Lustration Lus·tra"tion noun [ Latin lustratio : confer French lustration .] 1. The act of lustrating or purifying.

And holy water for lustration bring.

Dryden.

2. (Antiq.) A sacrifice, or ceremony, by which cities, fields, armies, or people, defiled by crimes, pestilence, or other cause of uncleanness, were purified.

Lustre Lus"tre noun Same as Luster .

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