potluck

[pot-luhk, -luhk] /ˈpɒtˌlʌk, -ˈlʌk/
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 potluck supper, potluck dinner, potluck lunch. 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.
Origin
1585-95; pot1 + luck
Examples from the web for potluck
  • These potluck desserts are the perfect sweets to take to your next party.
  • The presence of sardines must be a powerful drawcard for predators, for they come a long way to dine at the potluck.
  • We hold a summer potluck with our spouses and a winter dinner and theater outing.
  • It provides tips on storage, sanitation and cooking to keep potluck food as safe as possible.
  • The potluck lunch included many southern favorites including ham, beans, and corn bread.
  • Organize a cross-cultural potluck lunch in which students bring in or make foods from their homeland or ancestors' homeland.
  • Park staff will prepare and serve a special potluck lunch for this year's volunteers.
Word Origin and History for potluck
n.

also pot-luck, 1590s, from pot (n.1) + luck; with notion of "one's luck or chance as to what may be in the pot." As an adjective from 1775.

Slang definitions & phrases for potluck

potluck

adverb phrase

: Come on and dine pot luck

modifier

: pot-luck supper

noun phrase

A meal composed of odds and ends of leftovers, or of whatever turns up (1600+)


Idioms and Phrases with potluck

potluck

see: take potluck