(1899-1980) a British film director who made films in the UK and then in Hollywood for almost 50 years. He made thrillers (=films that tell exciting stories about crime and murder) such as The Thirty-Nine Steps (1935), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963). He is famous for his use of suspense (=a feeling of fear and excitement that you have when you expect that something bad is going to happen). People sometimes use the word "Hitchcockian" to describe a story or situation in which there is a lot of suspense.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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