fluke

/fluːk/ (bre, ipa) · /fluːk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈflük/ (ame, mw)

fluke — noun

  • flukesingular
  • flukesplural

1. a positive outcome that happens by chance rather than because someone planned it

1.名詞C1
釋義

a positive outcome that happens by chance rather than because someone planned it or had the ability to make it happen.

例句

Otis insists his promotion was a fluke and not the result of hard work.

subject-complement: X was a fluke

Passing the chemistry exam without studying felt like a complete fluke to Padma.

intensifier: a complete fluke

同義詞
  • stroke of luck

    more neutral phrase, fluke implies the outcome looked like skill

  • lucky break

    informal, emphasises a turning point rather than a one-off result

  • coincidence

    neutral about whether the result was good; fluke is usually positive

反義詞
  • design

    the planned-on-purpose opposite of a fluke

  • achievement

    result of skill and effort, not luck

文法句型

a fluke that-clause

by a fluke

用法筆記

Frequently appears in the structures 'a fluke', 'by (sheer) fluke', or 'it was a fluke that …', often paired with a contrast against skill, effort, or planning.

常見錯誤

❌Winning the lottery was a fluke for me' (ordinary chance event).
✅Winning a prize on my first lottery ticket was a fluke.
💡'fluke' suggests a surprising lucky outcome, not just any random result.
❌It happened by fluke accident.
✅It happened by sheer fluke.
💡'by fluke' already implies accident; do not add the word 'accident'.

2. a strange event produced by chance, where the outcome itself is not necessarily

2.名詞C1
釋義

a strange event produced by chance, where the outcome itself is not necessarily good but the circumstances are surprising or unexpected.

例句

Through some fluke of the wind, Shirin's hat landed on the roof of a passing bus.

pattern: a fluke of [noun]

The matching birthmarks on the twins are a genetic fluke, doctors told Mayumi.

modifier: a genetic fluke

同義詞
  • freak event

    stronger word, suggests something dramatic; fluke is milder

  • quirk

    implies a small odd feature; fluke implies a one-off happening

反義詞
  • pattern

    expected, repeated outcome rather than a one-off

文法句型

a fluke of [noun]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense covers any unusual chance event, not just lucky outcomes. Often follows the pattern 'a fluke of [system]' (a fluke of nature, of the wind, of genetics).

常見錯誤

❌It was a fluke he was injured.' (sounds insensitive).
✅By a strange fluke, he was injured the same day his brother was.
💡pair this sense with circumstance, not bad outcomes alone.

3. one half of the wide, flat horizontal tail on a whale, dolphin, or similar sea m

3.名詞C2
釋義

one half of the wide, flat horizontal tail on a whale, dolphin, or similar sea mammal; the animal uses both halves together to push itself through water.

例句

Christopher watched as the humpback lifted its huge flukes clear of the water before diving.

collocation: lift the flukes

Each whale can be identified from the unique markings on the underside of its flukes.

anatomical reference: underside of its flukes

同義詞
  • tail lobe

    more general term used in zoology

  • tail fin

    non-technical, applies to fish as well

文法句型

the flukes of a [whale/dolphin]

用法筆記

Almost always plural ('the flukes') because every whale has two. Common in marine biology writing and whale-watching contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The whale lifted its fluke and dived.' (singular, only one half).
✅The whale lifted its flukes and dived.
💡refer to both halves together.

4. a small, flattened worm that hooks onto a host animal or person, lives by drawin

4.名詞C2
釋義

a small, flattened worm that hooks onto a host animal or person, lives by drawing nutrients from it, and can cause damage to organs such as the liver.

例句

Élise's vet found liver flukes in the goat after several weeks of unexplained weight loss.

compound: liver fluke

Sheep grazing on wet pasture can pick up flukes that damage the bile ducts.

transmission: pick up flukes

同義詞
  • trematode

    scientific name for the same group of worms

  • flatworm

    wider category; not every flatworm is a fluke

文法句型

[type] fluke (e.g. liver fluke)

用法筆記

Often prefixed by the body part or host the parasite targets: 'liver fluke', 'blood fluke', 'sheep fluke'. Use this sense in veterinary, medical, or biology contexts.

常見錯誤

❌I caught a fluke and got sick.' (sounds like a fish).
✅I caught a liver fluke infection.
💡specify which type when the context is medical.

5. the flat, pointed metal tip on each anchor arm, shaped so it bites into the sand

5.名詞C2
釋義

the flat, pointed metal tip on each anchor arm, shaped so it bites into the sand or mud of the seabed and keeps a boat from drifting.

例句

Greta felt the anchor jolt as one fluke finally caught on a rocky ridge below.

verb collocation: the fluke catches

Sand grains were still wedged between the flukes when the crew hauled the anchor in.

location: between the flukes

同義詞

文法句型

the flukes of an anchor

用法筆記

An anchor typically has two flukes, one at the end of each arm. Use this sense in sailing, boating, or nautical-history writing.

常見錯誤

❌The fluke of the boat dropped overboard.
✅The anchor's fluke caught on the seabed.
💡'fluke' here is part of the anchor, not the boat itself.