de·us ex ma·chi·na (dāəs ĕks mäkə-nə, -nä′, măkə-nə)
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Tweet n. 1. In Greek and Roman drama, a god lowered by stage machinery to resolve a plot or extricate the protagonist from a difficult situation. 2. An unexpected, artificial, or improbable character, device, or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve a situation or untangle a plot. 3. A person or event that provides a sudden and unexpected solution to a difficulty. [New Latin deus ex māchinā : Latin deus, god; see dyeu- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + Latin ex, from; see eghs in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + Latin māchinā, ablative of māchina, machine; see MACHINE. (Translation of Greek theos apo mēkhanēs).] |
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