MacGyver means to make an object or repair an item with only the items at hand. When something has been MacGyvered it has been thrown together in an ingenious and improvised fashion. MacGyver is a new word in the Oxford English Dictionary, it is a transitive verb which is a verb that takes an object. Related words are MacGyvers, MacGyvered, MacGyvering and MacGyverism. MacGyvered may also be used as an adjective. The Urban Dictionary defines MacGyver as “..us[ing] a dorito, some duct tape, and a paper clip to create a time machine.”
Interestingly, the word MacGyver is always capitalized as it is derived from the name of a character in an American television show, also named MacGyver, which ran from 1985 to 1992. The character Angus MacGyver was a secret agent who didn’t carry a gun but always had a Swiss Army knife and duct tape on his person.
Examples
These are MacGyvered pharmacy pill cases that have pieces of coffee filters inside (The Ottawa Sun)
Too often, ice cream sandwiches are just MacGyvered confections, assembled with wafers and frozen dairy products that you could have purchased separately and, well, assembled yourself. (The Washington Post)
To an observer awaiting his possible hospitality, Chris’s home is a hole around the roots of a massive fallen cedar, but as Mr. Cowles notes the 60-ish resident has also “MacGyvered” lean-to shelters for sleeping and eating. (The Globe and Mail)
To their credit, the MacGyvered offensive line came up big in the end, especially in a clutch fourth-quarter drive that ended with a field-goal to give the Stamps a five-point edge. (The Calgary Sun)
‘I love the imagery of a MacGyvered heart–a heart that is taped back up, but by virtue of being duct-taped back up, it’s rock-solid,’ Ed notes, no pun intended. (The Huffington Post)
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