MacGuffin
World English Dictionary
McGuffin or MacGuffin (məˈɡʌfɪn)
 
—n
an object or event in a book or a film that serves as the impetus for the plot
 
[C20: coined (c. 1935) by Sir Alfred Hitchcock]
 
MacGuffin or MacGuffin
 
—n
 
[C20: coined (c. 1935) by Sir Alfred Hitchcock]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Macguffin is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
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Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
Main Entry:  MacGuffin
Part of Speech:  n
Definition:  See McGuffin
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
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