McGuffin

/ məˈɡʌfɪn /

noun

1. an object or event in a book or a film that serves as the impetus for the plot

Word History and Origins

Origin of McGuffin¹

C20: coined (c. 1935) by Sir Alfred Hitchcock

Example Sentences

“The belt’s kind of a McGuffin,” added Roth.

From Los Angeles Times

Nichols called for his mother and told officers he wished to go home, McGuffin said.

From Los Angeles Times

This is not to say these plot lines are McGuffins, though they nod toward that convention of the form.

From Los Angeles Times

In fact, the judge limited her ruling only to the possibility of a change in policy, according to Jennifer McGuffin, a spokeswoman for Romanucci’s firm.

From Seattle Times

“DeepMind has vast resources to keep this database up to date and they are better placed to do this than any single academic group,” McGuffin told The Verge.

From The Verge