Macguffin has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
Noun
Noun
1
(film) a plot element that catches the viewers' attention or drives the plot
"the McGuffin was a key element of Alfred Hitchcock's films"
2
A plot element or other device used to catch the audience's attention and maintain suspense, but whose exact nature has fairly little influence over the storyline.
Broader Terms (hypernyms)