1. an unlikely chance occurrence; a stroke of luck
Usage: informal
2. either of the two lobes of a whale’s tail
Usage: nautical; biology
3. the barbed point of an anchor
Usage: nautical

Examples

• His victory was just a fluke – he’s not usually that good at tennis.
• It was a complete fluke that we ran into each other at the airport.
• The whale’s powerful flukes propelled it through the water.
• The anchor’s flukes dug deep into the sandy bottom.
• The doctor diagnosed the patient with a liver fluke infection.
• Don’t count on winning again – that last game was pure fluke.