muggle

American  

[muhg-uhl] / ˈmʌg əl /

noun

1. a nonmagical person in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter universe.

2. 1. a person who is not familiar with the Harry Potter universe.

      He’s a muggle—he hasn’t read any of the books.

   2. a person who is not familiar with or knowledgeable about a specific subject (often used attributively).

      I’m a true fan of K-pop, and my brother is just a muggle.

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Etymology

Origin of muggle

First recorded in 1995–2000; from the Harry Potter series of novels by J.K. Rowling ( def. )

Example Sentences

Most time-wasting but fun is watching the cast decide if some strange words are from the muggle or magical universes.

From Washington Times • Jul. 17, 2022

More than 800 players from as far afield as Iceland and Hong Kong took part in the tournament - the largest yet staged in the muggle universe.

From Reuters • Jul. 2, 2018

“What do the characters of Harry Potter wear under their robes? I figure they have to wear something, so do they wear muggle clothing or do they have a dress code?”

From Slate • Sep. 11, 2016

Visitors of all genders, ages, shapes and colors milled about, almost none in street clothes or — as they have been known here since the advent of the Harry Potter novels — muggle clothes.

From New York Times • Aug. 6, 2015

In Germany, the Guardian reported, "muggle", "quidditch" and "house elf" were becoming "part of German schoolchildren's vocabulary".

From The Guardian • May 8, 2010