potluck

[ pot-luhk, -luhk ]

noun

1. food or a meal that happens to be available without special preparation or purchase:

   to take potluck with a friend.

2. Also called potluck supper,. a meal, especially for a large group, to which participants bring various foods to be shared.
3. whatever is available or comes one's way:

   With fluctuating interest rates, homebuyers are learning to take potluck with the banks.

Word History and Origins

Origin of potluck¹

First recorded in 1585–95; pot ¹ + luck

Idioms and Phrases

see take potluck .

Example Sentences

At a hospital the day after the crash, Linton said that she did not remember how the crash occurred but that she had left a work potluck and was upset at her coworkers, Lee testified.

From Los Angeles Times

The neighbors gather for pumpkin carving each Halloween, pancake breakfasts, Fourth of July potlucks and neighborhood cleanups.

From Los Angeles Times

Think potluck, but for drinks: challenge your friends to come up with inventive mocktails for everyone to enjoy.

From Seattle Times

The dishes at a community center potluck for Indian expatriates near Washington, D.C., ranged from chana masala, a popular northern Indian chickpea curry, to idli, a southern Indian rice cake.

From New York Times

The flower growers hosted rotating potlucks at their farms and attended the San Fernando Valley Iris Society, of which Ferguson is a member.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• breakfast
• brunch
• dessert
• dinner
• fare
• feast
• lunch
• luncheon
• picnic
• refreshment
• snack
• supper
• table
• tea