potluck
UK[ˈpɒt.lʌk]US[ˈpɑːt.lʌk]
n
a meal, especially for a group of people, to which each guest brings a dish of food to be shared.
n
a situation where one must accept whatever is available, often because it was not planned in advance.
Morpheme Breakdown
pot
luck
pot
luck
Etymology
the word 'potluck' is a compound noun formed from two english words, 'pot' and 'luck'. its earliest usage in the 16th century referred literally to food provided for an unexpected guest, drawn from the communal cooking pot. the 'luck' element signified that the guest would take a chance on whatever food happened to be available. this literal sense evolved into the modern, organized social event where participants contribute different dishes, as well as the metaphorical meaning of accepting whatever one happens to get.
Analysis
Structure: pot + luck
pot (from middle english 'pot', meaning a cooking vessel; old english 'pott', of germanic origin; functions as the base noun). luck (from middle english 'lucke', meaning fortune or chance; of middle low german or dutch origin; functions as the base noun).
Examples
we're having a potluck at the office on friday, so i'm bringing a salad.
i didn't have time to pack a lunch, so i had to take potluck with whatever was left in the cafeteria.
the conference doesn't provide meals, so attendees are on their own for dinner or can join the informal potluck.