LURK

ambush, scupper, bushwhack, waylay, lurk, ambuscade, lie in wait

(verb) wait in hiding to attack

loiter, lounge, footle, lollygag, loaf, lallygag, hang around, mess about, tarry, linger, lurk, mill about, mill around

(verb) be about; “The high school students like to loiter in the Central Square”; “Who is this man that is hanging around the department?”

lurk, skulk

(verb) lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

lurk (third-person singular simple present lurks, present participle lurking, simple past and past participle lurked)

To remain concealed in order to ambush.

To remain unobserved.

To hang out or wait around a location, preferably without drawing attention to oneself.

(Internet) To view an internet forum without posting comments.

(UK, naval slang, transitive) To saddle (a person) with an undesirable task or duty.

Noun

lurk (plural lurks)

The act of lurking.

(obsolete) A swindle.

Source: Wiktionary


Lurk, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Lurked; p. pr. & vb. n. Lurking.] Etym: [OE. lurken, lorken, prob. a dim. from the source of E. lower to frown. See Lower, and cf. 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. Prov. i. 11.

2. To keep out of sight. The defendant lurks and wanders about in Berks. Blackstone.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

23 January 2025

LEFT

(adjective) being or located on or directed toward the side of the body to the west when facing north; “my left hand”; “left center field”; “the left bank of a river is bank on your left side when you are facing downstream”


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