variants
or British pot luck
plural potlucks
1
US
: a meal to which everyone who is invited brings food to share
He organized a neighborhood potluck for next Saturday.
—often used before another nouna potluck dinner/supper
2
chiefly British
: a meal for a guest that is prepared from whatever is available
I wasn't expecting you for dinner, so you'll have to take pot luck.
—often used figurativelyWe don't have definite plans. We're just going to take pot luck. [=we're just going to take/accept whatever is available and hope that it is good]
Cite this Entry
“Potluck.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/potluck. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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