Meaning

noun a stroke of luck

noun a barb on a harpoon or arrow

noun flat bladelike projection on the arm of an anchor

originMid-16th century in the sense of “anchor blade”. Probably the same word as in etymology 2 above or else a related word for something flat (cf. Proto-Germanic *flakaz). A derivation from Middle Low German vlögel (“wing”), from Proto-Germanic *flugilaz, seems phonetically impossible. If anything, related vlōch, vlucht (“flight”, both also “wing”) or even *vlunke (modern Low German Flunk (“wing,…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0