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. 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 ³ 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 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 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.

Example Sentences

The following campaign proved the progress was no fluke.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

The gap between these values is small in absolute terms, but far too large to dismiss as a statistical fluke.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

Magnusson’s fame was a fluke, resulting from a conversation between Jane and an American friend in the publishing business, Stephen Morrison.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

It was a fluke that she was born in Ukraine.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

Riddle had no reason to disrupt his colt’s schedule to take on Seabiscuit and accept a risk, however small, that a fluke would cost his horse the championship.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Related Words

• blessing
• quirk