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deus ex machina


Definition of deus ex machina

noun

  • an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel.

Origin:

late 17th century: modern Latin, translation of Greek theos ek mēkhanēs, 'god from the machinery'. In Greek theatre, actors representing gods were suspended above the stage, the denouement of the play being brought about by their intervention

deus ex machina in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of deus ex machina in the US English dictionary