Test Your Vocabulary

Take Our 10-Question Quiz

Name That Thing

Take our visual vocab quiz

Test Your Knowledge »

True or False?

A quick quiz about stuff worth knowing

Take It Now »

Join Us on FB & Twitter

Get the Word of the Day and More

Facebook | Twitter

MacGuffin

2 ENTRIES FOUND:

Mac·Guf·fin

noun \mə-ˈgə-fən\

Definition of MACGUFFIN

: an object, event, or character in a film or story that serves to set and keep the plot in motion despite usually lacking intrinsic importance

Variants of MACGUFFIN

Mac·Guf·fin or Mc·Guf·fin \mə-ˈgə-fən\

Origin of MACGUFFIN

coined by Alfred Hitchcock
First Known Use: circa 1939

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: mach
Previous Word in the Dictionary: Macgillivray's warbler
All Words Near: MacGuffin

Seen & Heard

What made you want to look up MacGuffin? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).