fluke
1 Americannoun
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the part of an anchor that catches in the ground, especially the flat triangular piece at the end of each arm.
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a barb, or the barbed head, of a harpoon, spear, arrow, or the like.
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either half of the triangular tail of a whale.
noun
-
an accidental advantage; stroke of good luck.
He got the job by a fluke.
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an accident or chance happening.
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an accidentally successful stroke, as in billiards.
noun
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any of several American flounders of the genus Paralichthys, especially P. dentatus, found in the Atlantic Ocean.
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any of various other flatfishes.
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a trematode.
noun
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Also called: flue. a flat bladelike projection at the end of the arm of an anchor
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either of the two lobes of the tail of a whale or related animal
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Also called: flue. the barb or barbed head of a harpoon, arrow, etc
noun
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an accidental stroke of luck
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any chance happening
verb
noun
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any parasitic flatworm, such as the blood fluke and liver fluke, of the classes Monogenea and Digenea (formerly united in a single class Trematoda )
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another name for flounder 2
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fluke1
First recorded in 1555–65; perhaps special use of fluke 3
Origin of fluke2
First recorded in 1855–60; of obscure origin; compare English dialect fluke “a guess”
Origin of fluke3
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 )
Explanation
A fluke is an unexpected stroke of good luck. It was a fluke to find that fifty dollar bill on the ground, and it made you smile for the rest of the day. The word fluke was first used in 1857 in reference to a lucky shot at billiards. If something good happens to you by chance when you're not expecting it, that's a fluke. The word fluke can also be used in a negative or insulting way. For example, if your favorite sports team loses an important game, you could complain that it was just a fluke that the other team won — meaning they didn't deserve to win and somehow got lucky.
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The one run the Dodgers scored against Mahle was something of a fluke.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Not just one fluke, but a series of them.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Unlike The Wonders, Schlesinger’s ability to write a world-beating earworm was no fluke.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
And without such a theory, odds are very high that October’s past volatility is a statistical fluke.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Tonight was another fluke, a lucky break, a gift.
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
