deus ex machina
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.de·us ex ma·chi·na
noun \ˈdā-əs-ˌeks-ˈmä-ki-nə, -ˈma-, -ˌnä; -mə-ˈshē-nə\Definition of DEUS EX MACHINA
1
: a god introduced by means of a crane in ancient Greek and Roman drama to decide the final outcome
2
: a person or thing (as in fiction or drama) that appears or is introduced suddenly and unexpectedly and provides a contrived solution to an apparently insoluble difficulty
See Origin of DEUS EX MACHINA
New Latin, a god from a machine, translation of Greek theos ek mēchanēs
First Known Use: 1697
deus ex machina
noun (Concise Encyclopedia)Stage device in Greek and Roman drama in which a god appeared in the sky by means of a crane (Greek, mechane) to resolve the plot of a play. Plays by Sophocles and particularly Euripides sometimes require the device. The term now denotes something that appears suddenly and unexpectedly and provides an artificial solution to an apparently insoluble difficulty.
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