Potluck Definition

Origin of Potluck

• The sense “communal meal" may derive from confusion of potluck and potlatch, though this is uncertain: it may be a simple extension of the traditional meaning of “meal with guests". Some works, e.g. the one cited below from 1879 New York, use the word for an impromptu meal cooked by guests at a party (rather than made by guests bringing food to a party), emphasizing the random nature of the potluck and connecting the modern “communal meal" sense and the older sense.

  From Wiktionary

• Spelled pot-luck before the 20th century, from pot +"Ž luck. The sense “meal offered by a host to an unexpected guest" dates to 1592; into the early 20th century, the word was used only to mean “meal provided by the host".

  From Wiktionary