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. 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 ² 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 ³ 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 Scientific  

/ flo̅o̅k /

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

2. See trematode

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Other Word Forms

Derived 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

It was a fluke, but it led to the promotion of H.R.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026

That therapy is a critical narrative element of the “Backrooms” film is no fluke.

From Salon • May 30, 2026

After his first prediction came true when his native Germany won the 2014 World Cup, Klement imagined running the numbers again in 2018 would expose it as a fluke.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

Its unique fluke next popped up six years later -- this time off the coast of the Brazilian megacity Sao Paulo.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

I thought about telling him I hadn’t come looking for anything, that it was a total fluke I’d crashed right in front of New Life in Christ.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

Related Words

• blessing
• quirk