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FLUKE
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Parasitic flatworms having external suckers for attaching to a host
Synonyms:
fluke; trematode; trematode worm
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("fluke" is a kind of...):
flatworm; platyhelminth (parasitic or free-living worms having a flattened body)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fluke"):
Fasciola hepatica; liver fluke (flatworm parasitic in liver and bile ducts of domestic animals and humans)
Fasciolopsis buski (fluke that is parasitic on humans and swine; common in eastern Asia)
blood fluke; schistosome (flatworms parasitic in the blood vessels of mammals)
Holonyms ("fluke" is a member of...):
class Trematoda; Trematoda (parasitic flatworms (including flukes))
Sense 2
Meaning:
Either of the two lobes of the tail of a cetacean
Classified under:
Nouns denoting animals
Hypernyms ("fluke" is a kind of...):
tail (the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body)
Holonyms ("fluke" is a part of...):
blower; cetacean; cetacean mammal (large aquatic carnivorous mammal with fin-like forelimbs no hind limbs, including: whales; dolphins; porpoises; narwhals)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Flat bladelike projection on the arm of an anchor
Synonyms:
flue; fluke
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("fluke" is a kind of...):
projection (any structure that branches out from a central support)
Holonyms ("fluke" is a part of...):
anchor; ground tackle (a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving)
Sense 4
Meaning:
A barb on a harpoon or arrow
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("fluke" is a kind of...):
barb (a subsidiary point facing opposite from the main point that makes an arrowhead or spear hard to remove)
Holonyms ("fluke" is a part of...):
harpoon (a spear with a shaft and barbed point for throwing; used for catching large fish or whales; a strong line is attached to it)
Sense 5
Meaning:
A stroke of luck
Synonyms:
fluke; good fortune; good luck
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural phenomena
Hypernyms ("fluke" is a kind of...):
fortune; luck (an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that leads to a favorable outcome)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fluke"):
serendipity (good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries)
Derivation:
