Also 6 lorcher, 8 lircher. [f. LURCH v.1 + -ER1. In early Dicts. often used to render L. lurco glutton, with which it has no etymological connection.]
1. One who ‘lurches’ (see LURCH v.1 2) or forestalls others of their fair share of food; hence, a glutton. Obs.
[c. 1440: see LURKER1 3.]
1530. Palsgr., 241/1. Lurcher an exceeding eater, galiffre. Ibid., 500/2. Se howe he crammeth in his meate lyke a lurcher.
1591. Lyly, Endimion, II. ii. Is not loue a lurcher, that taketh mens stomacks away that they cannot eate, their Spleen that they cannot laugh [etc.].
1608. Middleton, Mad World, V. i. Wks. (Dyce), II. 407. Take heed of a lurcher, he cuts deep, he will eat up all from you.
1616. Boys, Wks. (1629), 821. The Mass-priests are gross lurchers at the Lord’s Table.
2. One who pilfers or filches in a mean fashion; a petty thief, swindler, rogue.
1528. Roy, Rede me (Arb.), 98. Ye but thorowe falce lorchers And vnthryfty abbey lobbers To povre folcke lytell they a forde.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 459. No seale will serue to make sure either such lurchers themselues for filching, or keep the very locks and keies safe.
1705. Penn, in Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem., X. 20. To be treated as a lurcher of the people … is more … than any poor mortal could bear.
1714. Gay, Trivia, III. 64. Swift from his Prey the scudding Lurcher flies.
1831. Trelawney, Adv. Younger Son, I. 72. This Caledonian lurcher had three or four dozen of shirts, with every one a different mark.
1891. Morn. Advert., 3 April (Farmer). It was quite time that the honest and respectable drivers sat down on the lurchers once and for all.
3. One who loiters or lies hidden in a suspicious manner; a spy.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Lurcher, one that lies upon the Lurch or upon the Catch.
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1792), I. 199. Some … with outward bravade,… went searching along the walls and behind the posts for some lurcher.
1774. Foote, Cozeners, II. Wks. 1799, II. 172. I thought that I had detected love, that sly lurcher, lurking under the mask.
1814. Scott, Ld. of Isles, V. xxii. Our Lord may choose the rack should teach To this young lurcher use of speech.
1894. Daily News, 7 June, 2/7. The prisoner … said prosecutor was a lurcher, and was only sent out as a decoy.
4. A cross-bred dog, properly between the sheep-dog or collie and the greyhound; largely used by poachers for catching hares and rabbits.
1668. Wilkins, Real Char., II. v. 161. Greater Beasts; Greyhounds. Lesser Beasts; Lurchers.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., To Rdr. Why should the ears of all … be dinn’d … as if the whole world besides were all Weasils and Poulcats, vermine and Lurchers?
1679. Lond. Gaz., No. 1053/4. Lost…, a Pied Dog … somewhat shap’t like a Lurcher.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 185/1. The Tumbler, or Lurcher is … in shape like the Grey-hound.
1741. Compl. Fam.-Piece, II. i. 304. The Lircher is a kind of Dog much like a Mungril Greyhound.
1819. Scott, Ivanhoe, i. A ragged wolfish-looking dog, a sort of lurcher, half mastiff, half greyhound.
1894. Field, 9 June, 813/2. The usual lurcher is between the greyhound and collie; they cross well, and the speed of one is combined with the sagacity of the other.
b. slang. A bumbailiff.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, s.v., A lurcher of the law, a bum-bailiff, or his setter.
1839. W. H. Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard, ii. ‘But, where are the lurchers?’ ‘Who?’ asked Wood. ‘The traps!’ replied a bystander.
