The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Lurch \Lurch\, n. [OF. 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.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A double score in cribbage for the winner when his
      adversary has been left in the lurch.
      [1913 Webster]

            Lady --- has cried her eyes out on losing a lurch.
                                                  --Walpole.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.
          [1913 Webster]

                But though thou'rt of a different church,
                I will not leave thee in the lurch. --Hudibras.
          [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Lurch \Lurch\, v. i. [L. lurcare, lurcari.]
   To swallow or eat greedily; to devour; hence, to swallow up.
   [Obs.]
   [1913 Webster]

         Too far off from great cities, which may hinder
         business; too near them, which lurcheth all provisions,
         and maketh everything dear.              --Bacon.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Lurch \Lurch\, v. t.
   1. To leave in the lurch; to cheat. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            Never deceive or lurch the sincere communicant.
                                                  --South.
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   2. To steal; to rob. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            And in the brunt of seventeen battles since
            He lurched all swords of the garland. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Lurch \Lurch\, n. [Cf. W. llerch, llerc, a frisk, a frisking
   backward or forward, a loitering, a lurking, a lurking,
   llercian, llerciaw, to be idle, to frisk; or perh. fr. E.
   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.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Lurch \Lurch\ (l[^u]rch), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Lurched
   (l[^u]rcht); p. pr. & vb. n. Lurching.]
   To roll or sway suddenly to one side, as a ship or a drunken
   man; to move forward while lurching.
   [1913 Webster +PJC]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Lurch \Lurch\, v. i. [A variant of lurk.]
   1. To withdraw to one side, or to a private place; to lurk.
      --L'Estrange.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To dodge; to shift; to play tricks.
      [1913 Webster]

            I . . . am fain to shuffle, to hedge, and to lurch.
                                                  --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

lurch
    n 1: an unsteady uneven gait [syn: lurch, stumble,
         stagger]
    2: a decisive defeat in a game (especially in cribbage)
    3: abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other
       conveyance); "the pitching and tossing was quite exciting"
       [syn: lurch, pitch, pitching]
    4: the act of moving forward suddenly [syn: lurch, lunge]
    v 1: walk as if unable to control one's movements; "The drunken
         man staggered into the room" [syn: stagger, reel,
         keel, lurch, swag, careen]
    2: move abruptly; "The ship suddenly lurched to the left" [syn:
       lurch, pitch, shift]
    3: move slowly and unsteadily; "The truck lurched down the road"
    4: loiter about, with no apparent aim [syn: prowl, lurch]
    5: defeat by a lurch [syn: lurch, skunk]