fluke¹ / floōk/ • n. unlikely chance occurrence, esp. a surprising piece of luck: their triumph was no fluke.fluke² • n. 1. a parasitic flatworm (classes Trematoda and Monogenea, phylum Platyhelminthes) that typically has suckers and hooks for attachment to the host. 2. a flatfish, esp. a flounder.fluke³ • n. a broad triangular plate on the arm of an anchor. ∎  either of the lobes of a whale's tail.

Fluke ★★ 1995 (PG)

“Ghost” meets “Oh, Heavenly Dog” as Tom (Modine) dies in a suspicious car accident and is reincarnated as a dog who remembers his past life. He returns to his former family (Travis and Pomeranc) to protect them from his former business partner (Stoltz), battling such puppy perils as cosmetic testing labs and dogcatchers along the way. While there's plenty of squishy sentimentality to go around, some of the scenes involving animal abuse may be a little much for the target audience of preteen kids. Jackson and Stoltz trade “Pulp Fiction” for pup fiction, but this dog won't hunt. Based on the novel by James Herbert. 96m/C VHS, DVD . Matthew Modine, Nancy Travis, Eric Stoltz, Max Pomeranc, Ron Perlman, Jon Polito, Bill Cobbs, Frederico Pacifici, Collin Wilcox-Paxton; D: Carlo Carlei; W: James Carrington, Carlo Carlei; C: Raffaele Mertes; M: Carlo Siliotto; V: Samuel L. Jackson.

fluke (flook) n. any of the parasitic flatworms that belong to the group Trematoda. Adult flukes are parasites of humans, occurring in the liver (see Fasciola), lungs (see paragonimiasis), gut (see heterophyiasis), and blood vessels (see Schistosoma) and often cause serious disease.

fluke Flatworm, an external or internal parasite of animals. Flukes have suckers for attachment to the host. Human infection can result from eating uncooked food containing encysted larvae, or from penetration of the skin by larvae in infected waters. The worms enter various body organs, such as the liver, lungs and intestines, causing oedema (swelling) and decreased function. Phylum Platyhelminthes, class Trematoda.

fluke1 flat fish, esp. flounder OE.; parasitic worm resembling this XVII. OE. flōc, corr. to ON. flóki, rel. to MLG., MDu. flac, OHG. flah (G. flach) flat; ult. IE. *plaq-, further repr. by Gr. plakoûs, L. placenta flat cake.