Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Luck

Luck

,
Noun.
[Akin to D.
luk
,
geluk
, G.
glück
, Icel.
lukka
, Sw.
lycka
, Dan.
lykke
, and perh. to G.
locken
to entice. Cf. 3d
Gleck
.]
That which happens to a person; an event, good or ill, affecting one’s interests or happiness, and which is deemed casual; a course or series of such events regarded as occurring by chance; chance; hap; fate; fortune; often, one's habitual or characteristic fortune;
as, good, bad, ill, or hard
luck
. Luck is often used by itself to mean good luck;
as,
luck
is better than skill; a stroke of
luck
.
If thou dost play with him at any game,
Thou art sure to lose; and of that natural
luck
,
He beats thee 'gainst the odds.
Shakespeare
Luck penny
,
a small sum given back for luck to one who pays money.
[Prov. Eng.]
To be in luck
,
to receive some good, or to meet with some success, in an unexpected manner, or as the result of circumstances beyond one's control; to be fortunate.

Webster 1828 Edition


Luck

LUCK

,
Noun.
That which happens to a person; an event, good or ill, affecting a man's interest or happiness, and which is deemed casual; fortune. Luck respects persons and their proceedings. We never say, in a literal sense, that a plant has the luck to grow in a particular place; or a fossil has the luck to be of a particular form. We say, a person has the good luck to escape from danger; or the ill luck to be ensnared or to suffer loss. He has had good luck, or bad luck in gaming, fishing or hunting. Luck, or what we call chance, accident, fortune, is an event which takes place without being intended or foreseen, or from some cause not under human control; that which cannot be previously known or determined with certainty by human skill or power.
Consider the gift of luck as below the care of a wise man.

Definition 2024


Luck

Luck

See also: luck

English

Proper noun

Luck

  1. A surname.

luck

luck

See also: Luck

English

Noun

luck (usually uncountable, plural lucks)

  1. Something that happens to someone by chance, a chance occurrence, especially a favourable one.
    The raffle is just a matter of luck.
    Sometimes it takes a bit of luck to get success.
    I couldn't believe my luck when I found a fifty dollar bill on the street.
    Gilbert had some bad luck yesterday — he got pick-pocketed and lost fifty dollars.
  2. A superstitious feeling that brings fortune or success.
    He blew on the dice for luck.
    I wish you lots of luck for the exam tomorrow.
  3. success
    I tried for ages to find a pair of blue suede shoes, but didn't have any luck.
    He has a lot of luck with the ladies, perhaps it is because of his new motorbike.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

luck (third-person singular simple present lucks, present participle lucking, simple past and past participle lucked)

  1. (intransitive) To succeed by chance.
    His plan lucked out.
  2. (intransitive) To rely on luck.
    No plan. We're just to going to have to luck through.
  3. (transitive) To carry out relying on luck.
    Our plan is to luck it through.

Derived terms