fluke

fluke ¹  (flk)

n.

1. Any of various flatfishes, especially a flounder of the genus Paralichthys.

2. See trematode.

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[Middle English, from Old English flc; see plk-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

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fluke ²  (flk)

n.

1. Nautical The triangular blade at the end of an arm of an anchor, designed to catch in the ground.

2. A barb or barbed head, as on an arrow or a harpoon.

3. Either of the two horizontally flattened divisions of the tail of a whale.

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[Possibly from fluke¹.]

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fluke ¹

Noun

an accidental stroke of luck [origin unknown]

fluky adj

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fluke ²

Noun

1. the flat triangular point of an anchor

2. either of the two lobes of the tail of a whale [perhaps a special use of fluke³ (in the sense: a flounder, flatfish)]

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fluke ³

Noun

any parasitic flatworm, such as the liver fluke [Old English flōc]

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fluke  (flk)

1. Either of the two flattened fins of a whale's tail.

2. See trematode.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	fluke - a stroke of luck good fortune, good luck fortune, luck - an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that leads to a favorable outcome; "it was my good luck to be there"; "they say luck is a lady"; "it was as if fortune guided his hand" serendipity - good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries
	2.	fluke - a barb on a harpoon or arrow barb - a subsidiary point facing opposite from the main point that makes an arrowhead or spear hard to remove harpoon - a spear with a shaft and barbed point for throwing; used for catching large fish or whales; a strong line is attached to it
	3.	fluke - flat bladelike projection on the arm of an anchor flue anchor, ground tackle - a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving projection - any structure that branches out from a central support
	4.	fluke - either of the two lobes of the tail of a cetacean cetacean, cetacean mammal, blower - large aquatic carnivorous mammal with fin-like forelimbs no hind limbs, including: whales; dolphins; porpoises; narwhals tail - the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body
	5.	fluke - parasitic flatworms having external suckers for attaching to a host trematode, trematode worm flatworm, platyhelminth - parasitic or free-living worms having a flattened body class Trematoda, Trematoda - parasitic flatworms (including flukes) Fasciola hepatica, liver fluke - flatworm parasitic in liver and bile ducts of domestic animals and humans Fasciolopsis buski - fluke that is parasitic on humans and swine; common in eastern Asia blood fluke, schistosome - flatworms parasitic in the blood vessels of mammals

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fluke

noun stroke of luck, accident, coincidence, chance occurrence, chance, stroke, blessing, freak, windfall, quirk, lucky break, serendipity, quirk of fate, fortuity, break

Translations

fluke [fluːk] n (col) → chiripa

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fluke [fluːk] n → coup m de veine

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fluke [fluːk] (inf) n → Glücksfall m;

by a fluke → durch einen glücklichen Zufall

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fluke [fluːk] n (col) → colpo di fortuna