fluke
fluke Lexical Profile
fluke Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A surprising piece of luck or a chance occurrence, typically resulting in a positive outcome.
"Winning the championship in their first year was dismissed by critics as a mere fluke."
The broadly flattened extremity of an anchor arm, or one of the two horizontal lobes of a cetacean's tail.
"As the massive humpback whale dove into the depths, its powerful flukes breached the ocean surface."
A parasitic flatworm of the class Trematoda, typically having suckers and commonly infecting the liver, blood, or lungs of mammals.
"The sheep contracted a serious infection after grazing in pastures contaminated with liver flukes."
• verb
To achieve a fortunate result or goal entirely by chance rather than by skill.
"He managed to fluke his way through the difficult entrance exam without studying at all."
• Rhymes for fluke
Word Origin & Etymology
The word has multiple distinct origins. The sense meaning a 'stroke of luck' originated in the mid-19th century as a billiards term. The senses referring to a flatworm, anchor part, or whale's tail derive from the Old English 'flōc' (meaning flatfish), tracing back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning 'flat'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.