fluke

¹ American  

[flook] / fluk /

noun

1. the part of an anchor that catches in the ground, especially the flat triangular piece at the end of each arm.

2. a barb, or the barbed head, of a harpoon, spear, arrow, or the like.

3. either half of the triangular tail of a whale.

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fluke ² American  

[flook] / fluk /

noun

1. any of several American flounders of the genus Paralichthys, especially P. dentatus, found in the Atlantic Ocean.

2. any of various other flatfishes.

3. a trematode.

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fluke ³ American  

[flook] / fluk /

noun

1. an accidental advantage; stroke of good luck.

   He got the job by a fluke.

2. an accident or chance happening.

3. an accidentally successful stroke, as in billiards.

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fluke ¹ British  

/ fluːk /

noun

1. Also called: flue.  a flat bladelike projection at the end of the arm of an anchor

2. either of the two lobes of the tail of a whale or related animal

3. Also called: flue.  the barb or barbed head of a harpoon, arrow, etc

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fluke ² British  

/ fluːk /

noun

1. any parasitic flatworm, such as the blood fluke and liver fluke, of the classes Monogenea and Digenea (formerly united in a single class Trematoda )

2. another name for flounder 2

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fluke ³ British  

/ fluːk /

noun

1. an accidental stroke of luck

2. any chance happening

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verb

1. (tr) to gain, make, or hit by a fluke

fluke Scientific  

/ flo̅o̅k /

1. Either of the two flattened fins of a whale's tail.

2. See trematode

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Other Word Forms

• flukeless adjective

Etymology

Origin of fluke¹

First recorded in 1555–65; perhaps special use of fluke ³

Origin of fluke¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English flok, fluke, flewke, Old English flōc; cognate with Old Norse flōki; compare Old High German flah “flat” ( German flach )

Origin of fluke¹

First recorded in 1855–60; of obscure origin; compare English dialect fluke “a guess”

Example Sentences

Mr. Moore’s appointment feels like one more attempt to frame the fire as a blame-free fluke.

From The Wall Street Journal

Perhaps the only thing that can hold the Thunder back is a strange scheduling fluke that neither the Bulls nor the Warriors had to deal with.

From The Wall Street Journal

Jayden Daniels keeps getting hit, key players continue to go down, and last week’s 31-0 embarrassment against the Vikings wasn’t a fluke.

From Los Angeles Times

"It was attracted to the outside of the carcass in a fluke event of preservation."

From Science Daily

There they saw ferns with leaves instead of fronds, ferns that loved the sun, ferns that lacked sporangia altogether, and other bizarre flukes of nature.

From Literature

Related Words

• blessing
• quirk