fluke

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a stroke of luck
  2. noun a barb on a harpoon or arrow
  3. noun flat bladelike projection on the arm of an anchor

Etymology

Unknown, perhaps dialectal. It seems to have originally referred to a lucky shot at billiards. Possibly connected to sense 3, referring to whales' use of flukes to move rapidly. Possibly derived from German Glück (“luck, good fortune, happiness”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

good luck, good fortune

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