potluck

noun

pot·​luck ˈpät-ˈlək 

 sense 1b also  -ˌlək

1

a

: the regular meal available to a guest for whom no special preparations have been made

b

: a communal meal to which people bring food to share

—usually used attributively

a potluck supper

2

: whatever is offered or available in given circumstances or at a given time

Examples of potluck in a Sentence

He organized a neighborhood potluck for next Saturday.

Recent Examples on the Web

Also potluck lunch, socializing, fossil hunting and camping. —Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2025

Hire several food trucks for the night, or keep things simple with an elevated potluck. —Maggie Griswold, StyleCaster, 1 Apr. 2025

There's nothing more Southern than a church potluck. —Josh Miller, Southern Living, 29 Mar. 2025

Winfield and co-founder Shawn Cox recently hosted a psychedelic potluck at which experts studying and cultivating psychedelic mushrooms discussed genetics, extraction and specialized equipment. —Kate Ruder | Kff Health News, ABC News, 24 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for potluck

• amok
• amuck
• awestruck
• dumbstruck
• roebuck
• unstuck
• woodchuck
• chuck
• cluck
• duck
• huck
• luck

Kids Definition

potluck

noun

pot·​luck ˈpät-ˈlək 

1

a

: a regular meal for which no special preparations have been made

b

: a meal to which people bring food to share

2

: whatever is offered or available in given circumstances or at a given time