fluke
FLOOK
/fluːk/
An unlikely chance occurrence, especially a surprising piece of luck.
Often implies that the success wasn't earned by skill and might not happen again.
The story behind the word. The origin is uncertain, but it first appeared in the mid-1800s as a billiards term for a lucky shot. It may be related to the 'fluke' of an anchor or the flat tail of a whale.
Word relationships
- accident: A fluke is specifically a lucky or unlikely accident.
- certainty: Something that is sure to happen.
Commonly confused with
- coincidence: A fluke is one event; a coincidence is two events matching.
Word family
- fluky (adjective): obtained by chance rather than skill
Collocations
- total fluke
- bit of a fluke
- mere fluke
Example sentences
- "The winning goal was a total fluke; the ball bounced off a defender's head and into the net." Sports commentary.
- "He was worried his high test score was just a fluke and that he couldn't repeat it." Academic success.
Memory hook
Fluke rhymes with 'Luck.' A fluke is just a weird bit of luck. A lucky billiards shot.
When not to use
Avoid in very formal academic writing; use 'fortuity' or 'anomaly' instead.
Fun facts
- A 'fluke' is also a type of flatfish and the name for the parasitic worms known as trematodes.
Related words
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