potluck
Syllables: pot·luck/ˌpɒtˈlʌk/US/ˈpɑtˌlʌk/
potluck noun: a meal, especially one offered to a guest, consisting of whatever food is available.
Noun
potluck (countable and uncountable, plural potlucks)
- A meal, especially one offered to a guest, consisting of whatever food is available.
- Here are some leftover beans and meat; we can make a good potluck stew from them.
- During my Stay here, I was going to take Pot-Luck with Colonel Ingram, and accidentally meeting him in the Way, I told him I deſigned to ſoul a Plate with him, […]1741, unknown [formerly attributed to Daniel Defoe], The Life and Adventures of Mrs. Christian Davies, the British Amazon, commonly called Mother Ross: […], 2nd edition, London: Printed for R[ichard]...
- Whatever is available in a particular situation.
- He at once resolved to accompany me to that island, ship aboard the same vessel, get into the same watch, the same boat, the same mess with me, in short to share my every hap; with both my hands in his, boldly dip into the Potluck of both worlds.1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “Biographical”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 63
- How to get rich of Dutch Henry taxed the wits of the invaders. The whole morning and the early afternoon went to pot-luck firing from the trench along the draw, but although it was often asserted that Henry must long since be dead—having returned none of the shooting that was meant to call his...1921 August, Frank H[amilton] Spearman, “The Raid of the Falling Wall”, in Laramie Holds the Range, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, published November 1921, →OCLC, page 143
- A shared meal consisting of whatever guests have brought (sometimes without prior arrangement); a potlatch; also, a dish of food brought to such a meal.
- Last evening, at the Free Trade Club, a dinner was given by Hon. Robert R. Roosevelt to a large number of his friends. Though invitations had been issued for a week previous, the feast was decidedly of an impromptu character as far the viands went. […] Cards of invitation of an amusing character...1879 March 26, “The pot-luck picnic. An impromptu and enjoyable dinner–a display of culinary skill.”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from...
- Then we had a potluck dinner. Each family brought a different dish. I always like Mrs. Rowlani's Persian rice best. I ate three helpings. Lisa likes it too, but she picks out the raisins and gives them to Fred [a dog].1981, Wendy Heller, My Name is Nabil, Los Angeles, Calif.: Kalimát Press, →ISBN
- Synonyms:
- fuddle
- The last draft or portion of an alcoholic beverage in a pot or other drinking vessel.
- We had but euen pot luck, a little to moyſten our lips, and no more.1592 (first performance), Thomas Nash[e], A Pleasant Comedie, Called Summers Last Will and Testament, imprinted at London: By Simon Stafford, for Walter Burre, published 1600, →OCLC
- […] I am bold, in ſtead of new wine, to carowſe to you a cuppe of newes: which if your worſhip (according to your wonted Chauceriſme) ſhall accept in good part, Ile bee your daily orator to pray, that the pure ſanguine complexion of yours may never be abaſht with pot-lucke, that you may taſt till...1592, Tho[mas] Nashe, “To the Most Copious Carminist of Our Time, and Famous Persecutor of Priscian, His Very Friend Maister Apis Lapis, […]”, in Strange Newes, of the Intercepting Certaine Letters...
Verb
potluck (third-person singular simple present potlucks, present participle potlucking, simple past and past participle potlucked)
- To take part in a potluck, where each participant brings a meal to be shared by all.
Examples of potluck in a sentence
- Instead of frequent potluck enjoyments, it seems folks, now-a-days, regale their friends with a feast, which, if as seldom attempted as the author paints, cannot induce bankruptcy.1810, Simon Gray [pseudonym; Alexander Boswell, Lord Auchinleck], “Notes”, in Edinburgh, or, The Ancient Royalty; a Sketch of Former...
- Among the examples she provides are potlucks, cocktail parties, and reunions.1984, Sue Samuelsen, Ray Kepner, “Bocce Ball Meets Hacky-sack: A Western Pennsylvania Independence Day Gathering”, in Bonita...
- Throw a class partay and tell stoodents to bring a potluck.2014, Jeremiah Toed, “Teacher, Please Intradouche Me 2 Hot Girl in the 1ˢᵗ Row??”, in Beth Schaefer, Grade A Papers: A Funny Coffee Table...
- Potlucks are the time for fun, unfussy dishes. […] Thankfully, people now enjoy lots of different flavors.2016, Kristin Donnelly, “Rules of the Potluck”, in Modern Potluck: Beautiful Food to Share, New York, N.Y.: Clarkson Potter/Publishers...
Synonyms of potluck
Forms of potluck
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | potlucks |
| alternative form | pot luck |
| alternative form | pot-luck |
| Verb | |
| third-person singular present | potlucks |
| present participle | potlucking |
| past participle | potlucked |
| past | potlucked |
Origin of potluck
From pot + luck. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, sense 3 (“a shared meal consisting of whatever guests have brought”) is unlikely to have been influenced by potlatch.
Words formed from potluck
Phrases with potluck
Words that rhyme with potluck
39 more rhymesFewer rhymes
Questions about potluck
- What does potluck mean?
- Potluck means a meal, especially one offered to a guest, consisting of whatever food is available.
- How do you use potluck in a sentence?
- Instead of frequent potluck enjoyments, it seems folks, now-a-days, regale their friends with a feast, which, if as seldom attempted as the author paints, cannot induce bankruptcy.
- What part of speech is potluck?
- Potluck can be a noun or a verb.
- How do you pronounce potluck?
- Potluck is pronounced /ˌpɒtˈlʌk/ (UK).
- What is the plural of potluck?
- The plural of potluck is potlucks.
Words near potluck in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: potluck (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-uk-potluck.oga.
Cite this entry: “potluck.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/potluck. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.