Definition of "lurk" []

• To lie in wait, as in ambush. (verb-intransitive)
• To move furtively; sneak. (verb-intransitive)
• To exist unobserved or unsuspected: danger lurking around every bend. (verb-intransitive)
• To read but not contribute to the discussion in a newsgroup, chatroom, or other online forum. (verb-intransitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Oh, what horrible perils lie in lurk in the languid fields of Erin Township!"
• "I have been reading past LJ posts (in lurk-mode because really, who wants comments on entries that are months old?) in a vain attempt to catch up on everything, but I've also been reading my friends list -- and tnh, at making light, has posted a comment about misinformation and the publishing industry."
• "One of the current topics on the Child-Lit listserv, where I usually lurk, is a discussion "Harry Potter -- Hype or Word Of Mouth," which got me thinking about when I first read HP and its impact on me, personally and professionally."