MacGuffin
McGuffin
A plot device in the form of some goal, desired object, or another motivator that the protagonist pursues, often with little or no narrative explanation. The MacGuffin's importance to the plot is not the object itself, but rather its effect on the characters and their motivations.
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Origin
Popularized by the film director Alfred Hitchcock, although its origins may be uncertain. The term has since become a recognized concept in film and literature, and has been used to describe a variety of plot devices, from the Maltese Falcon in Dashiell Hammett's novel to the Death Star plans in Star Wars. The origin of the term "MacGuffin" is uncertain, but it may be derived from the Scottish slang term "McGuffin," which means a type of stolen property.