Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “fluke” come from?

Fluke derives from Old English flōc, whose original meaning remains unknown.

fluke (English): A lucky or improbable occurrence, with the...

Definitions

  1. A lucky or improbable occurrence, with the...

Ancestry of “fluke”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishFlook—
2Old Norseflókituft of hair
3Proto-Germanicflukkōn-—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanplewk-to fly, flow, run; to splash, to flap with hands
5Proto-Indo-Europeanplew-to fly, flow, run

Words derived from “fluke”

  • fluky
  • flukey
  • flukish
  • flukiness
  • flukily
  • flukelike
  • flukeworm
Every word from Proto-Indo-European plew- →