fluke

IPA/fluːk/
KK[flˈuk]IPA/fluːk/

fluke — noun

  • flukesingular
  • flukesplural

1. a piece of good fortune that comes about purely from chance and not from a perso

1.名詞B2
釋義

a piece of good fortune that comes about purely from chance and not from a person's ability or planning

例句

Winning the lottery was a fluke — Rodrigo had only bought the ticket on a whim.

collocation: complete fluke

I had never played golf before, so getting a hole-in-one was a total fluke.

collocation: total fluke

同義詞
  • coincidence

    stresses two unrelated events happening at the same time, not necessarily lucky

  • stroke of luck

    a fixed phrase for a single piece of good fortune, slightly more formal

  • accident

    suggests something unintended, often with a neutral or negative tone

  • luck

    a broader term for good fortune in general, not a single event

反義詞
  • skill

    ability gained through practice and effort, the opposite of relying on chance

  • intention

    something done on purpose, not by accident

用法筆記

Often appears in the fixed phrases 'a complete fluke', 'a total fluke', 'by a fluke', and 'no fluke'.

常見錯誤

❌It was fluke that he scored the goal.
✅It was a fluke that he scored the goal.
💡'fluke' is a countable noun and needs an article ('a' or 'the').
❌She fluked the exam by studying hard.
✅Passing the exam was a fluke because she had not studied.
💡'fluke' is not a verb in standard usage; use it only as a noun.

2. a surprising or unlikely occurrence, not necessarily good or bad, that results f

2.名詞B2
釋義

a surprising or unlikely occurrence, not necessarily good or bad, that results from chance

例句

By some fluke of nature, the pine tree survived for centuries on the rocky cliff.

collocation: fluke of nature

The meeting of the long-lost cousins was a fluke that no one could have predicted.

同義詞
  • coincidence

    two or more things happening together by chance; more specific than fluke

  • chance event

    a neutral way to describe something unplanned

  • anomaly

    something that deviates from what is normal; more formal and scientific

反義詞

用法筆記

This broader sense does not carry the positive connotation of sense 1 (LUCKY ACCIDENT). It emphasises pure improbability.

常見錯誤

❌I met her by a fluke, and we became enemies.
✅I met her by chance, and we became enemies.
💡'fluke' implies surprise at the unlikely event itself, not the relationship that follows.

3. each of the two broad, flat sections that form the tail fin of a whale

3.名詞C1
釋義

each of the two broad, flat sections that form the tail fin of a whale

例句

The whale raised its flukes high above the water before diving into the deep.

usually plural: flukes

Marine biologists identify individual whales by the unique patterns on their flukes.

用法筆記

This sense is nearly always used in the plural ('flukes'), since the tail has two lobes. Singular 'fluke' describes one lobe.

4. a small, flat-bodied worm that survives by attaching itself to another creature

4.名詞C1
釋義

a small, flat-bodied worm that survives by attaching itself to another creature and feeding on it, sometimes causing disease

例句

The vet said the stray cat had liver flukes and prescribed a course of medicine.

compound: liver fluke

Flukes can infect people who eat raw or undercooked freshwater fish.

同義詞
  • trematode

    the scientific class name for flukes; only used in formal biology writing

用法筆記

Often combined with a host organ name, such as 'liver fluke' or 'blood fluke'. Common in medical and veterinary contexts.