luck  (l ŭk)
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n.1. The chance happening of fortunate or adverse events; fortune: They met one day out of pure luck. 2. Good fortune or prosperity; success: We wish you luck. 3. One's personal fate or lot: It was just my luck to win a trip I couldn't take. intr.v. lucked, luck·ing, lucks Informal To gain success or something desirable by chance: lucked into a good apartment; lucked out in finding that rare book. Idioms: as luck would have it As it turned out; as it happened: As luck would have it, it rained the day of the picnic. in luck Enjoying success; fortunate. out of luck Lacking good fortune. press/push (one's) luck To risk one's good fortune, often by acting overconfidently. try (one's) luck To attempt something without knowing if one will be successful.
[Middle English lucke, from Middle Dutch luc, short for gheluc; akin to Middle High German gelücke (source of modern German Glück, happiness, luck), and Middle Low German gelükke, luck, all perhaps from Old Low Fraconian *galukki : *ga-, prefix forming collective nouns of result + *-lukki, of unknown origin.] |
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