deus ex machina
[ dey-uhs eks -mah-kuh-nuh, dee-uhs eks -mak-uh-nuh ]
/ ˈdeɪ əs ɛks ˈmɑ kə nə, ˈdi əs ɛks ˈmæk ə nə /
noun
(in ancient Greek and Roman drama) a god introduced into a play to resolve the entanglements of the plot.
any artificial or improbable device resolving the difficulties of a plot.
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Origin of deus ex machina
1690–1700; <New Latin literally, god from a machine (i.e., stage machinery from which a deity's statue was lowered), as translation of Greek apò mēchanês theós (Demosthenes), theòs ek mēchanês (Menander), etc.
Words nearby deus ex machina
deunionize, deurbanize, Deurne, Deus, Deusdedit, deus ex machina, Deus Ramos, Deus vobiscum, Deus vult, Deut., deuter-
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for deus ex machina
deus ex machina
/ Latin (ˈdeɪʊs ɛks ˈmækɪnə) /
noun
(in ancient Greek and Roman drama) a god introduced into a play to resolve the plot
any unlikely or artificial device serving this purpose
Word Origin for deus ex machina
literally: god out of a machine, translating Greek theos ek mēkhanēs
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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