potluck
potluck Lexical Profile
potluck Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
North American Relating to or designating a communal meal to which each guest brings a dish of food to share.
"Everyone in the department signed up to bring a dish to the annual potluck dinner."
Selected or assembled at random from whatever is available, without prior planning.
"The charity sale featured a potluck assortment of donated books, records, and vintage clothing."
• noun
North American A communal meal or gathering to which each guest contributes a different, often homemade dish of food to be shared among all attendees.
"She baked a large tray of lasagna to bring to the neighborhood potluck on Saturday."
Whatever food or provisions happen to be available for a meal without special preparation for guests, or any situation in which one must take a chance on whatever is available.
"Since we arrived at the cabin unannounced, we were happy to take potluck with the hosts."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in 16th-century England from 'pot' and 'luck', originally referring to an uninvited guest taking the 'luck of the pot'—eating whatever happened to be cooking for the family.