lunge

Etymology

From French allonge, from Old French alonge, from alongier, from Vulgar Latin *allongare, from ad + Late Latin longare, from Latin longus.

noun

1. A sudden forward movement, especially with a sword.
   A moment of madness from double goalscorer Kalinic put Rovers' fate back in the balance when the Croat caught Scharner with a late, dangerous lunge and was shown a straight red card by referee Phil Dowd. December 28, 2010, Kevin Darlin, “West Brom 1 - 3 Blackburn”, in BBC
2. A long rope or flat web line, more commonly referred to as a lunge line, approximately 20–30 feet long, attached to the bridle, lungeing cavesson, or halter of a horse and used to control the animal while lungeing.
3. An exercise performed by stepping forward one leg while kneeling with the other leg, then returning to a standing position.
4. A fish, the namaycush.

verb

1. (transitive, intransitive) To (cause to) make a sudden forward movement (present participle: lunging).
   I lunged at the police officer and made a grab for her gun.
   With savage desperation the Indian lunged his horse straight at Hopalong and, knife in hand, leaped for him! 2004, Louis L'Amour, Rustlers of West Fork
2. (transitive) To longe or work a horse in a circle around a handler (present participle: lunging or lungeing).