A table with food during a potluck
A potluck is a joint meal with each participant or group of participants bringing food (often self-prepared) and sharing with all other present guests. The idea is that at minimal cost you will have a very varied meal, playing the "luck" element. The intention is to bring something more than the number of participants to come. Potlucks have become popular in the United States through meetings of church groups and other associations, but in the meanwhile they are a widespread phenomenon. etymology
The word 'pot-luck' dives into England in the 16th century, in the work of Thomas Nashe. It then had the literal meaning "luck of the pot" because it stood for "eating for an unexpected or uninvited guest". The current meaning seems to have arisen in the late 19th century or early 20th century.
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