n. 1. Main character of an action/adventure TV show by the same name; full name Angus MacGyver; part secret agent, part handyman, part environmentalist; hated guns (only time he ever used a gun was to remove the revolving part of a revolver to use the rest of the gun as an improvised wrench to stop the meltdown of a nuclear reactor). 2. Action/adventure TV show of the 1980's; also a short series of made-for-TV movies after the show was cancelled. 3. a person who uses improvisation and available materials to handle a difficult/impossible situation.

v. 1. to handle a difficult situation through improvisation using only available materials. 2. to do an impossible activity. 3. to get the impossible girl (MacGyver had a different girl in every episode).

Note: the latter two verb definitions almost made it into the Webster Dictionary as slang because of their wide use by street gangs in LA in the 1980's (this was revealed by Richard Dean Anderson, the actor who portrayed MacGyver, on a Good Morning America episode). It was also mentioned that (supposedly) for one hour every week, gang activity decreased dramatically in LA because all of the gangs were indoors watching the TV show.

Note: It should also be noted that materials used to make explosions on the TV show always had an ingredient or two left out so that they could not be repeated by viewers. The show supposedly used help from CalTech students with some of its tricks.
In the first episode, MacGyver used the lactose and sugars in chocolate bars to stop a dangerous acid leak. Other episodes included, but were DEFINITELY NOT limited to...

...breaking out of a freezer using heat from the lights to melt ice, the run-off running down a metal slat to the freezer's latch, which then refroze, expanding and breaking the latch, openning the door.

...using a CO2 fire extinguisher, a wedge, and water to freeze the water in a crack in a boulder, expanding it so that the boulder broke apart and fell from a cliff to smash/disable a Russian APC.

...hiding a rebar inside a rolled up map so that it could later be used as a disguised weapon.

... placing a metal bowl on a food processor so that it would spin slowly, catching all of the electronic "hash" (white noise) generated by the rest of the kitchen equipment turned on to jam a micro-camera's transmission, giving MacGyver and friends a place to talk and plan without being eavesdropped on; in the same episode, using the motor of a small kitchen appliance, batteries, a belt, a small cart (like those used by typical hotel room service), and a helm from a suit of armor to provide a moving target to distract motion sensor-targetted machine guns so that Mac could escape from the booby-trapped mansion.

For more recent "MacGyverisms," interested parties should see the movie "Chain Reaction," in which Keneau Reeves plays a MacGyver-like hero who is thrust into a thrilling, domestic CIA, conspiracy theory adventure. He uses the same MacGyver style to defeat his opponents: jury-rigging a flat-bottomed boat with a fan-drive so that he and Rachel Weisz can make a getaway, attaching a chain to a moving belt to pull down a scaffold on the muscle chasing them, etc.

Those interested should also note that the entire series is on DVD, either by season or collected into one huge set covering every episode.
by Jim Gilbert January 3, 2009
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Macgyver is teh bestest tvSHOW ever. In every episode macgyver makes something cool from some random trash. He uses his creations to harm and kill enemies with funny russian and german accents. Murdoc is Macgyvers arcnemesis. Murdoc is kinda scary, but macgyver allways beat the shit out of him anyway.
With only limited time b4 teh enemy would catch up with him, macgyver made a hot-air balloon from a pair of speedos and an unlimited supply of plastic bags.

Macgyver is the greatest.
by schnappi March 26, 2005
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MacGyver could make a computer out of a rubber band, a dead cat, and a LCD watch.
damn man! that guy took a pillow, a wind up toy, and a dildo and made an attack plane!
by lalahsghost January 22, 2004
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One of the most powerful men who has even been alive. He does not kill people, either does he smoke, which is a technique to show hidden messages about non-using of violence, smoking, and other stuff that MacGyver rejects doing. Also, since he is not using weapons, his enemies always gets incapacitated a lot longer when he hits them in the neck, but actually he hits on the shoulder, with an attempt to add some effects, making it look like it was on the neck, but it really wasn't.

If you watch MacGyver, you will early realize that he has a girl in every town, and is impossible to kill, even though he never uses weapons. Also, there is often a 8-12 year old child, that later becomes saved by MacGyver. And the episodes always depends on the tricks, that is used by MacGyver.

The graphics and animations, are what I call: Chuck Norris material. On other words, poor and old school. Even though the few explosions of MacGyvers home made bombs (which he create in 2 seconds) are pretty bad animated, it makes you feel good. I recommend you guys to have a MacGyver night, and watch MacGyver all night. You will thank me...

I know that
In the episode "To be a man", in season 1, he makes some kind of mustard rocket, that flies on an Soviet soldier's stomach, making the soldier fly 5 meters out through the door, and somehow pointing the gun to himself, and pressing it. He instantly gets killed, by wearing a weapon - with other words, he killed himself. This is a typical MacGyver action, showing that weapons are bad.
by Micano October 4, 2007
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Macgyer drove a jeep and had a mullet for a while.
by Nettled October 12, 2003
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to use ingenuity to get out of a jam
That bog was pretty deep; he did some fancy MacGyving there to try and get out of that muck. - ManTracker
by InformalPig March 28, 2010
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An invincible being from another dimension who can turn anything into anything. Possesses limitless knowledge of any subject matter. Uses his powers for good, in exchange for sex with vast quantities of women. Has a mullet that can deflect any man-made weaponry. Invented nearly every machine or tool in existence today, but gave credit to others in exchange for sex with wives, sisters, daughters, etc.
Jesus tried to fuck with some atheists, but Macgyver stepped in and saved the day.
by Carl Perkins October 3, 2010
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