pot-luck
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Just as it comes; to take POT-LUCK, i.e., one’s chance of a dinner, or of what there is for dinner. A hearty term, used to signify that whatever the pot contains the visitor is welcome to.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “pot-luck” mean?
Just as it comes; to take POT-LUCK, i.e., one’s chance of a dinner, or of what there is for dinner. A hearty term, used to signify that whatever the pot contains the visitor is welcome to.
Is “pot-luck” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.