fluke

1 of 3

noun (1)

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
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

Examples of fluke in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
For the Kelce brothers, Monday’s news conference was no fluke. Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 In a larger sense, though, a Byron win is no fluke at all. Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2024 Its purpose in the seeming change that was sweeping the United States with the election of Barack Obama was no fluke. Jason Parham, WIRED, 19 Feb. 2024 The flukes are usually red or tan-brown, oval-shaped and flat, and can be up to 3 inches long. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 29 Feb. 2024 There was a miniature tart not much larger than a bottle cap, filled with firm raw fluke, maitake mushrooms glazed with Madeira, and crunchy threads of leek. Pete Wells, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 That suggests that the January data was a fluke, argued Omair Sharif, founder of Inflation Insights, an economic research firm. Ben Casselman, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 When breaking down the success that Oklahoma City has seen on both ends of the floor this season, the advanced metrics further prove the 57-win pace the team is currently on is no fluke. Nick Crain, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Highlights of the Pyro menu Of all the simple, beautiful plates, don't skip the fluke. The Arizona Republic, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fluke.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of fluke was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near fluke

Cite this Entry

“Fluke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fluke. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fluke

1 of 3 noun
: 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
: a flattened digenetic trematode worm
broadly : trematode see liver fluke

More from Merriam-Webster on fluke

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!