noun
potluck
pot-LUHK
noun
1
A shared meal where each guest brings a dish to contribute.
"We're having a potluck for the office party — bring your favorite dish."
"Everyone at the potluck brought something different, from salads to desserts."
2
Whatever happens to be available in a given situation, taken as it comes.
"We arrived late to the hotel and just had to take potluck with whatever room was left."
How to Use Potluck
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA meal where everyone brings a dish, or more generally, taking whatever's available.
Common pairings
potluck dinner
take potluck
office potluck
Word Forms
potlucked past tense, potlucks plural, potlucks singular
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We're having a _____ for the office party — bring your favorite dish.
Etymology
From pot plus luck — originally referring to whatever food happened to be in the cooking pot for unexpected guests.