muggle
Americannoun
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a nonmagical person in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter universe.
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a person who is not familiar with the Harry Potter universe.
He’s a muggle—he hasn’t read any of the books.
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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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
Non-nudists are referred to as “textiles,” like a wizard calling out a muggle.
From New York Times • Feb. 4, 2020
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
In Germany, the Guardian reported, "muggle", "quidditch" and "house elf" were becoming "part of German schoolchildren's vocabulary".
From The Guardian • May 8, 2010
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
