MacGuffin
or Mc·Guf·fin
[ muh-guhf-in ]
/ məˈgʌf ɪn /
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noun
a plot device in a work of fiction, often a physical object, that drives the plot forward without factoring into the story’s resolution:The statue in The Maltese Falcon is the most well-known example of a MacGuffin in cinema.
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Origin of MacGuffin
First recorded in 1935–40; probably from the surname MacGuffin and popularized by Alfred Hitchcock
Words nearby MacGuffin
macerate, maceration, macfarlane, Macgillicuddy's Reeks, MacGregor, MacGuffin, mach, Machabees, Machado, Machado de Assiz, Machado y Morales
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use MacGuffin in a sentence
The plot of Red Notice, such as it is, involves a deeply earnest search for “Cleopatra’s third egg,” a deeply ridiculous jeweled MacGuffin.
Red Notice is a huge hit for Netflix. But what does that actually mean?|Aja Romano|November 22, 2021|Vox