fluke
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
fluke 1
(flo͞ok)n.
1. Any of numerous parasitic flatworms, including the trematodes, some of which infect humans, and the monogeneans, which are chiefly ectoparasites of fish.
2. Any of various flatfishes chiefly of the genus Paralichthys, especially the summer flounder.
[Middle English, flounder, flatfish, from Old English flōc; see plāk- in Indo-European roots. Sense 1, from the flounderlike shape of sheep flukes .]
top: arrowhead and whale flukes
bottom: anchor flukes
fluke 2
(flo͞ok)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.
[Possibly from fluke.]
fluke 3
(flo͞ok)n.
1. A chance occurrence: That spring snowstorm was a total fluke.
2. Games An accidentally good or successful stroke in billiards or pool.
[Origin unknown.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
fluke
(fluːk)n
1. (Nautical Terms) Also called: flue a flat bladelike projection at the end of the arm of an anchor
2. (Animals) either of the two lobes of the tail of a whale or related animal
3. (Fishing) Also called: flue the barb or barbed head of a harpoon, arrow, etc
[C16: perhaps a special use of fluke3 (in the sense: a flounder)]
fluke
(fluːk)n
1. an accidental stroke of luck
2. any chance happening
vb
(tr) to gain, make, or hit by a fluke
[C19: of unknown origin]
fluke
(fluːk)n
1. (Animals) any parasitic flatworm, such as the blood fluke and liver fluke, of the classes Monogenea and Digenea (formerly united in a single class Trematoda)
2. (Zoology) another name for flounder21
[Old English flōc; related to Old Norse flōki flounder, Old Saxon flaka sole, Old High German flah smooth]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
fluke1
(fluk)n.
1. the part of an anchor that catches in the ground, esp. the flat triangular piece at the end of each arm.
2. the barbed head of a harpoon, spear, arrow, etc.
3. either half of the triangular tail of a whale.
[1555–65]
fluke2
(fluk)n.
1. a stroke of good luck: I got the job by a fluke.
2. a chance happening; accident.
3. an accidentally successful stroke, as in billiards.
[1855–60; of obscure orig.; compare dial. fluke a guess]
fluke3
(fluk)n.
1. any of several American flounders of the genus Paralichthys, esp. P. dentatus, of the Atlantic Ocean.
2. trematode.
[before 900; Middle English flok(e), fluke, Old English flōc; c. Old Norse flōki]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
fluke
(flo͞ok) Either of the two flattened fins of a whale's tail.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
fluke
Past participle: fluked
Gerund: fluking
| Imperative |
|---|
| fluke |
| fluke |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | fluke - a stroke of 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 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 hostflatworm, 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 |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
fluke
noun stroke of luck, accident, coincidence, chance occurrence, chance, stroke, blessing, freak, windfall, quirk, lucky break, serendipity, quirk of fate, fortuity, break The discovery was something of a fluke.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
fluke
nounAn unexpected random event:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
نَجاح بِالصُّدْفَه
šťástná náhoda
heldtilfælde
mázli
heppni
laimingas atsitiktinumas
laimes gadījumsnecerēta laime
šťastná náhoda
fluke
1 [fluːk] N → chiripa f, golpe m de suerteto win by a fluke → ganar de or por chiripa
fluke
2 [fluːk] N (Zool) → trematodo m (Fishing) especie de platijaCollins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
fluke
1n (inf) → Dusel m (inf), → Schwein nt (inf); by a fluke → durch Dusel (inf); it was a (pure) fluke → das war (einfach) Dusel (inf)
fluke
2Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
fluke
(fluːk) noun a chance success. Passing the exam was a fluke – I had done no work.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
fluke
n. duela, gusano de la orden Trematoda;
blood ___ → ___ sanguínea;
intestinal ___ → ___ intestinal;
liver ___ → ___ hepática;
lung ___ → ___ pulmonar.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
fluke
n duela, (tipo de) gusano plano parásito; liver — duela del hígadoEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.