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, 13 Aug. 2025

People sit down with each other for potlucks every three months to celebrate birthdays and new arrivals. —John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025

Every Southern host needs a go-to casserole for whipping up in a pinch for drop-in guests or bringing to a last-minute potluck. —Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 10 Aug. 2025

Combine two of summer's greatest foods, BLT sandwiches and pasta salad, for a potluck dish everyone will love. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 July 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