fluke

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈflük 

1

: a stroke of luck

the discovery was a fluke

Her second championship shows that the first one was no mere fluke.

2

: an accidentally successful stroke at billiards or pool

fluke

2 of 3

noun (2)

1

: flatfish

2

: a flattened digenetic trematode worm

broadly : trematode compare liver fluke

fluke

3 of 3

noun (3)

1

: the part of an anchor that fastens in the ground see anchor illustration

2

: one of the lobes of a whale's tail

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• break
• strike

Examples of fluke in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the discovery of oil on their property was just an amazing fluke

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The results of this election seem to confirm the idea that, far from the aberration or fluke that many observers have portrayed him as being, Trump captures and reflects the American spirit, at this moment in history, far more accurately than his meritocratic, elite, Establishment foes. —Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2024

Science & Medicine What military doctors can teach us about power in the United States May 16, 2024 This effect was sparked by a historical fluke: a cluster of deaths of 27-year-old musicians within a two-year period. —Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024

Despite a fluke 116-win season in 2001, the Mariners then missed the playoffs for an unfathomable 20 straight years. —David Faris, theweek, 5 Sep. 2024

Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s uneasy Game 1 start a fluke or a worrying sign? —Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

Noun (2)

Middle English floke, fluke, from Old English flōc; akin to Old English flōh chip, Old High German flah smooth, Greek plax flat surface, and probably to Old English flōr floor — more at floor

Noun (3)

perhaps from fluke entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fluke

• blood fluke
• liver fluke

Kids Definition

fluke

1 of 3 noun

ˈflük 

: any of various trematode flatworms compare liver fluke

fluke

2 of 3 noun

1

: the part of an anchor that digs into the ground

2

: a barbed head (as of a harpoon)

3

: one of the lobes of a whale's tail

fluke

3 of 3 noun

: a stroke of good luck

won by a fluke

fluky

ˈflü-kē

adjective

Medical Definition

fluke

noun

ˈflük 

: a flattened digenetic trematode worm

broadly : trematode see liver fluke