Past tense of lunge: to make a sudden forward thrust or attack, often with a weapon or body movement.
From French 'allonger' meaning to lengthen or extend, adopted into English fencing terminology in the 17th century to describe the quick forward thrust movement in swordplay.
Fencers literally gave English the word 'lunge'—it comes straight from the technique of extending your arm and lunging forward with a sword, which is why it's so associated with sudden, committed movements in any context.
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