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

Examples of that involvement include an Eagle Scout teaching guitar to three apartment residents and volunteers from churches organizing Sunday potluck dinners at one of the La Grange buildings, Rounds said. —Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026

While attending Friday prayer services, community potlucks during Ramadan and backyard tag football games there over the past three decades, Ahmad came to consider those women in hijabs like extended family. —Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Apr. 2026

Like many of Grownkid’s events, today’s potluck was designed to grab attention, and cloaked in a thin veil of irony. —Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026

Our sweet, syrupy version is perfect for a night in or a potluck. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026

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