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

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This isn’t just a fluke that’s here today and gone tomorrow. —Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024

So, while the Diamondbacks may be picked third or fourth in the division based on premiere names (depending on your view on San Francisco), their ownership believes that the 2023 run was not a fluke, and is buying into the team’s exciting youth. —Tyler Small, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

Now, new numbers released by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) indicate that wasn’t just a random fluke—yet again, vinyl outsold CDs for a second year running in 2023. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2024

But Dutcher’s staff has no buyouts and are hot commodities, especially after the Aztecs proved last year wasn’t a fluke with a return trip to the Sweet 16. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2024

Fluke in timing Airline industry analyst Kit Darby also chalked up the string of incidents happening back-to-back up to a fluke in timing. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024

And then there’s the nagging fear that maybe that Oscar, win or nomination, was just a fluke. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024

Stack also used photos of the whales’ tails, or flukes, to determine their ages: Whale B was around 30 years old, while Whale A was roughly 13 years old, reports Scientific American. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Mar. 2024

The flukes travel to the deer’s liver and complete their life cycle there, laying eggs that exit back into the world through the deer’s feces. —Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 29 Feb. 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