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potluck

(originally, Canada, US) A shared meal consisting of whatever guests have brought (sometimes without prior arrangement); a potlatch; also, a dish of food brought to such a meal.

ˌpɒtˈlʌkCurrent112 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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6 citations · last seen May 2026

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#1·Apr 27, 2026

(originally, Canada, US) A shared meal consisting of whatever guests have brought (sometimes without prior arrangement); a potlatch; also, a dish of food brought to such a meal.

Heard in the wild
  • “Tonight 5/5: Drop in to a potluck with other Indivisible in Melrose Wakefield & Beyond members. Upstairs in the Parish Hall at the Melrose Unitarian Universalist Church 70 W Emerson St, Melrose. 5-7:30pm Optional RSVP: www.mobilize.us/indivisible/...”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “guy who proudly refers to himself as "the mean guy" but who mere minutes ago was practically begging a voter to let him give their grandchild a cookie from our potluck stash (the child did in fact receive a cookie)”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “And here comes the awkward part of having to tell everyone “no” when they come by my desk asking if I’m gonna try what they made for the potluck”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Someone brought in a beautiful cake to the work potluck and no one has been brave enough to be the first one to cut a slice and im trying to decide if I should be the change I want to see in the world”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Yeeeeeee but it is a potluck so Do I want white people cinco de mayo food. That is the question”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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#2·Apr 27, 2026

(dated) A meal, especially one offered to a guest, consisting of whatever food is available.

Here are some leftover beans and meat; we can make a good potluck stew from them.
Origin: From . According to the Oxford English Dictionary, sense 3 (“a shared meal consisting of whatever guests have brought”) is unlikely to have been influenced by potlatch. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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#3·Apr 27, 2026

(by extension) Whatever is available in a particular situation.

Heard in the wild
  • “Had a little bonfire/potluck party this past weekend and friends brought kids and dogs. The biggest/youngest dog Dio apparently snapped at one of the kids and THIS GUY intervened to push Dio away from the kid. #Rescue #Pitbull #Dogs #MyHeart #BestBoy”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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