Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Whatever food happens to be available for a meal, especially when offered to a guest.
  • noun A meal at which each guest brings food that is then shared by all.
  • noun Whatever is available at a particular time.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun What may chance to be in the pot, in provision for a meal; hence, a meal at which no special preparation has been made for guests.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Whatever may chance to be in the pot, or may be provided for a meal.
  • noun to take what food may chance to be provided.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun dated A meal, especially one offered to a guest, consisting of whatever is available.
  • noun Whatever is available in a particular situation.
  • noun proscribed A meal consisting of whatever guests have brought, particularly from different parts of the world; a potlatch.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun whatever happens to be available especially when offered to an unexpected guest or when brought by guests and shared by all

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Spelled pot-luck before the 20th century, from pot +‎ luck. The sense “meal offered by a host to an unexpected guest” dates to 1592; into the early 20th century, the word was used only to mean “meal provided by the host”.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word potluck.

Examples

  • Later on inauguration day, Nixon was hosting what he described as a potluck dinner for the public.

    Neosho Daily News Homepage RSS 2009

  • And then there were the endless church suppers where you could always find a big bowl of it in potluck purgatory alongside the green jiggling Jell-O and fruit salad made with tiny marshmallows.

    End of winter carrot and raisin salad | Homesick Texan Homesick Texan 2009

  • When I moved to Rhode Island, I landed smack dab in potluck country, where the pressure to come up with new things to bring to dinner can be intense.

    King Ranch Chicken | Homesick Texan Homesick Texan 2007

  • One of our favorite appetizers for a potluck is just a brick of cream cheese spread with berry jam and Chipotle sauce poured over it, serve with crackers.

    Chipotle Jam Sauce�Cream Cheese Appetizer 2006

  • One of our favorite appetizers for a potluck is just a brick of cream cheese spread with berry jam and Chipotle sauce poured over it, serve with crackers.

    Best Things To Bring Back 2006

  • One of our favorite appetizers for a potluck is just a brick of cream cheese spread with berry jam and Chipotle sauce poured over it, serve with crackers.

    Best Things To Bring Back 2006

  • Riley and Griego got cooking nearly three years ago when they became mid-term potluck roommates in Jayhawker Towers.

    LJWorld.com stories: News 2009

  • Riley and Griego got cooking nearly three years ago when they became mid-term potluck roommates in Jayhawker Towers.

    LJWorld.com stories: News 2009

  • Riley and Griego got cooking nearly three years ago when they became mid-term potluck roommates in Jayhawker Towers.

    LJWorld.com stories: News 2009

  • I can't wait to see y'all again -- the potluck was a blast.

    Tastes that are as big as Texas | Homesick Texan Homesick Texan 2006

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • Antonym of potlatch.

    September 3, 2008

  • Conversation subsequent to the potluck held by our food activist group about a month ago: -

    Foodie 1: That lentil and onion dip was excellent.

    Foodie 2: Thanks. I like the recipe too.

    Foodie 1: It went so well with the bread.

    Foodie 2: Yeah, funny that. Amazing what you can find in a dumpster.

    Foodie 1: What? You got the bread from a dumpster?!

    Foodie 2: Would have gone to waste otherwise.

    Foodie 1: And brought it along here?!

    Foodie 2: Why not?

    Foodie 1: I feel violated.

    November 13, 2008

  • Ha!

    November 13, 2008

  • I'm disappointed every time I go to a potluck where there are no potstickers.

    May 29, 2015