Library / English Dictionary

MACGUFFIN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

(film) a plot element that catches the viewers' attention or drives the plot

Example:

the McGuffin was a key element of Alfred Hitchcock's films

Synonyms:

MacGuffin; McGuffin

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("MacGuffin" is a kind of...):

plot element (a component or element of the plot of a story)

Domain category:

celluloid; cinema; film (a medium that disseminates moving pictures)

Credits