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Deus ex Machina - 3 dictionary results
de⋅us ex ma⋅chi⋅na
[dey-uh
s eks mah-kuh-nuh, dee-uh
s eks mak-uh-nuh]
–noun
| 1. | (in ancient Greek and Roman drama) a god introduced into a play to resolve the entanglements of the plot. |
| 2. | any artificial or improbable device resolving the difficulties of a plot. |
Origin:
1690–1700; < NL lit., god from a machine (i.e., stage machinery from which a deity's statue was lowered), as trans. of Gk apò mēchanês theós (Demosthenes), theòs ek mēchanês (Menander), etc.
1690–1700; < NL lit., god from a machine (i.e., stage machinery from which a deity's statue was lowered), as trans. of Gk apò mēchanês theós (Demosthenes), theòs ek mēchanês (Menander), etc.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To Deus ex Machina
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
deus ex machina
1697, from Mod.L. translation of Gk. theos ek mekhanes, lit. "the god from the machina," the device by which "gods" were suspended over the stage in Gk. theater (see machine). The fem. is dea ex machina.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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