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fluke

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fluke

1[flook]
–noun
1. the part of an anchor that catches in the ground, esp. the flat triangular piece at the end of each arm.
2. a barb, or the barbed head, of a harpoon, spear, arrow, or the like.
3. either half of the triangular tail of a whale.

Origin:
1555–65; perh. special use of fluke 3

fluke

2[flook]
–noun
1. an accidental advantage; stroke of good luck: He got the job by a fluke.
2. an accident or chance happening.
3. an accidentally successful stroke, as in billiards.

Origin:
1855–60; of obscure orig.; cf. dial. fluke a guess

fluke

3[flook]
–noun
1. any of several American flounders of the genus Paralichthys, esp. P. dentatus, found in the Atlantic Ocean.
2. any of various other flatfishes.
3. a trematode.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME flok(e), fluke, OE flōc; c. ON flōki; cf. OHG flah flat (G flach)


flukeless, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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fluke 1   (flōōk)   
n.  
  1. Any of various flatfishes, especially a flounder of the genus Paralichthys.

  2. See trematode.


[Middle English, from Old English flōc; see plāk-1 in Indo-European roots.]
fluke 2   (flōōk)   
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 fluke1.]
fluke 3   (flōōk)   
n.  
  1. A stroke of good luck.

  2. A chance occurrence; an accident.

  3. Games An accidentally good or successful stroke in billiards or pool.


[Origin unknown.]
trem·a·tode   (trěm'ə-tōd')   
n.  Any of numerous flatworms of the class Trematoda, including both external and internal parasites of animal hosts, that have a thick outer cuticle and one or more suckers or hooks for attaching to host tissue. Also called fluke1.
adj.  Of or belonging to the Trematoda.

[From New Latin Trēmatōda, class name, from Greek trēmatōdēs, having holes, from trēma, trēmat-, perforation; see terə-1 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

fluke  (1)
"flat end of an arm of an anchor," 1561, perhaps from fluke (3) on resemblance of shape, or from L.Ger. flügel "wing." Meaning "whale's tail" (in plural) is 1725.

fluke  (2)
"lucky chance," 1857, originally a lucky shot at billiards, of uncertain origin.

fluke  (3)
"flatfish," O.E. floc "flatfish," related to O.N. floke "flatfish," flak "disk, floe" (see flake). The parasite worm (1668) so called from resemblance of shape.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: fluke
Pronunciation: 'flük
Function: noun
: a flattened digenetic trematode worm; broadly : TREMATODE —see LIVER FLUKE
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

fluke 1 (fl&oomacr;k)
n.
See trematode.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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