matador

Borrowed from Spanish matador (“killer”). Used in the English language as title for a bullfighter, however referred to as a torero in Spain.

bor+

[…] few of these boys know how to fight alone, and hardly any without a knife or a gun. They are not to be equated with matadors or boxers or Hemingway heroes. They are dangerous pack hounds who will not even expose themselves singly in the outfield.

1962, Arthur Miller, “The Bored and the Violent”, in Herbert Gold, editor, First Person Singular: Essays for the Sixties, New York: Dial, published 1963, page 181:

The second is La Macarena, named after an Arabian princess, and she was preferred by another great matador, Joselito, and to see her leave her parish church of San Gil at one in the morning of Good Friday or return later in the day is held by many Sevillanos to be the most important thing that can happen during Holy Week.

1968, James A. Michener, “Sevilla”, in Iberia, New York, NY: Dial Press, published 2015, →ISBN, page 317:

Hemingway's subject for the epilogue was the mano a mano (or hand-to-hand, a duel) between Spain's two leading matadors, Luis Miguel Dominguin and his brother-in-law, Antonio Ordonez.

1985 June 9, William Kennedy, “The Last Ole”, in The New York Times:

(bullfighting) The person whose aim is to kill the bull in a bullfight.


bullfighting

en-noun

bullfighting (usually uncountable, plural bullfightings)

In Portugal, Spain, Southern France and some Latin American countries, bulls are used in the sport of bullfighting.

A traditional spectacle, popular in Spain and many former Spanish colonies, in which a matador manipulates and ultimately kills a bull at close range.


quite

(bullfighting) A series of passes made with the cape to distract the bull.


espada

Borrowed from Spanish espada (“sword”). Doublet of epee, spade, spatha, and spathe.

dbt

That first day taught me I could be an espada. The only doubt in my mind was in regard to the nature of the bulls.

1891, The Living Age, volume 190, page 653:


picador

I saw the picador lance the bull.

The bull roars with pain, and the banderillas toss about in the lacerated flesh, from which the blood pours in crimson streams. "Poor beast! what a shame," we think, and even then the order is given for the picador to attack the bull.

1889, Nellie Bly, Six Months In Mexico, page 42:

(bullfighting) A lancer mounted on horseback who assists a matador.

picador

a lancer mounted on horseback who assists a matador


faena

Borrowed from Spanish faena. Doublet of hacienda and fazenda.

Faena is the vital third act in which the matador exhibits his skill with the muleta. Tradition requires that during the faena he keep his sword in his right hand, which usually also holds the muleta. Experts judge that the excellence of any single fight depends about sixty to seventy percent on the faena, which can excuse poor work elsewhere.

2013, James A. Michener, Iberia, Dial Press, →ISBN, page 736:

(bullfighting) A series of passes performed by a matador with a muleta or a sword before the kill.


mozo

I found, by advice, that single mozos weren't apt to be much good.

When he rode up to the gerente’s house that morning he was accompanied by four friends and by a retinue of mozos and two packanimals saddled with hardwood kiacks, one empty, the other carrying their noon provisions.

1992, Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses:

A male servant, especially an attendant to a bullfighter.


toreador

en-noun

toreador (plural toreadors or toreadores)

From Spanish toreador, from torear (“to fight bulls”), from toro (“bull”), from Latin taurus.

Such figures formed part of some ivory model of the Bull Ring, and are meant to suggest the toreadors who loom so large in the art and the traditions of Knossos. We can imagine the associations which such young toreadors would suggest, hung in the air by fine gold chains above the back of an ivory bull, when we look at a scene painted on one of the frescoes.

1907, Ronald M. Burrows, The Discoveries In Crete, page 21:

(bullfighting) A bullfighter, especially one on horseback.


bull ring

(bullfighting) The area in which bullfighting takes place.


querencia

Unadapted borrowing from Spanish querencia.

ubor

Once hit, a rebel unit must be hit again, and remain hit; the army must penetrate the querencia where – like a fighting bull – it was at home, and stay there, driving it out into unknown and unfriendly territory.

1977, Alistair Horne, A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962, New York: Review Books, published 2006 October 10, →ISBN, page 332:

The wolf paced and circled limping on three legs and then crouched by the iron stake where it seemed she’d made her querencia.

1994 June 7, Cormac McCarthy, The Crossing (Border Trilogy), Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, page 114:

(bullfighting) The area of the bull-ring where the bull makes its stand.


veronica

The cougher makes a lunge. Slothrop sweeps aside, gives him a quick veronica with his cape, sticks his foot out and trips the kid, who lies on the ground cursing

1973, Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow:

He stepped aside as a fight got going between an attendant and some kid by the Alkool display, hopping backwards in a practised veronica when a bottle broke, fearful for his flares.

1989, Martin Amis, London Fields, Vintage, published 2003, page 357:

(bullfighting) A circular swinging movement of the cape, used to avoid the bull.


tercio

(bullfighting) Any of the three stages of a bullfight: the vara, the banderilla and finally the death.


recibiendo

(bullfighting) A matador's technique of standing still so that the charging bull runs onto the sword.


bullfight

A public spectacle, in Spain and some other Latin countries, in which a person baits and often kills a bull.


corrida

[…]El Juli, a young and already much-admired torero, takes risk after risk until he is gored, drops to the sand and is helped up by Enrique Ponce Martinez - Spain 's leading matador and his partner for the afternoon's corrida.

2009 January 31, AL Kennedy, “Deaths in the afternoon”, in The Guardian:


capea

(bullfighting) An event in which small bulls or heifers are released into the arena and members of the audience can interact with them.


bullfighter

One who engages in bullfighting; a toreador or matador.


puntilla

en-noun

puntilla (countable and uncountable, plural puntillas)

Borrowed from Spanish puntilla. Doublet of pointelle.

(countable, bullfighting) The small dagger for administering the coup de grâce to the bull.


muleta

Borrowed from Spanish muleta, diminutive of mula (“mule”).

Out in the center of the ring Romero profiled in front of the bull, drew the sword out from the folds of the muleta, rose on his toes, and sighted along the blade.

1926, Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises, Folio Society, published 2008, page 248:

(bullfighting) A red flag used by bullfighters.


tauromachy

tauromachy (countable and uncountable, plural tauromachies)

From Ancient Greek ταῦρος (taûros, “bull”) + μάχη (mákhē, “battle”).


tendido

(bullfighting) A seating area in a bull ring.


encierro

/ˌɛnsɪˈɛəɹəʊ/

/ˌɛnsiˈɛɹoʊ/

Borrowed from Spanish encierro (literally “enclosure”), from encerrar (“to lock up”).

bor+

(bullfighting) A bull run, usually one held in Spain.


rejoneador

Borrowed from Spanish rejoneador (“lancer”).

(bullfighting) A mounted bullfighter whose task is to provoke the bull


manoletina

Named for Manolete, a Spanish bullfighter

(bullfighting) A maneuver in which the bull charges behind the bullfighter into his red muleta.


cuadrilla

From Spanish cuadrilla (“team”). Doublet of quadrille.

(bullfighting) The team which supports the matador.


banderillero

/ˌbændəɹiːˈjeəɹəʊ/

I cheered at the banderilleros’ display / as they stuck the bull in their own clever way[…]

1959, “In Old Mexico”, Tom Lehrer (music):

(bullfighting) A member of the cuadrilla who uses banderillas.

banderillero

one who sticks the banderillas in the bull's neck


banderilla

Borrowed from Spanish banderilla, from bandera (“banner”) + -illa (“diminutive suffix”).

(bullfighting) A decorated barbed stick used in bullfighting to stick into the bulls' shoulders.


descabello

(bullfighting) A small sword used by a bullfighter for the final kill in case of a lengthy attempt.


coleta

(bullfighting) A pigtail, a symbol of the matador.


capeador

en-noun

capeador (plural capeadors or capeadores)

(bullfighting) A person who aids a bullfighter by distracting the bull with his cape.


novillo

(bullfighting) A young bull (fought by a novillero).


alguazil

From Spanish alguacil, from Arabic اَلْوَزِير (al-wazīr, “minister, vizier”). Doublet of vizier and wazir.

der

(bullfighting) An official who maintains order during a bullfight and ensures that the rules are followed; a referee.


antibullfighting

en-adj

antibullfighting (comparative more antibullfighting, superlative most antibullfighting)

more antibullfighting (comparative)
most antibullfighting (superlative)

Using cloning to produce animals that are doomed to a barbarous death adds insult to injury, said Leonardo Anselmi, president of an antibullfighting organization, Stop Our Shame.

2008 March 24, Victoria Burnett, “For a Prize Bull, Next Big Test Is in Genetics Lab”, in New York Times:


tauromachian

/ˌtɔːɹəˈmækiən/

The bull was also a sacred animal, hence the innumerable tauromachian representations on large frescoes or in the minor arts[…]

1968, Pierre Leveque, The Greek Adventure, page 33:

(archaic) Of or pertaining to bullfighting.


burladero

(bullfighting) A protective barrier behind which people in the bullring protect themselves from the bull.


antibullfight

antibullfight (comparative more antibullfight, superlative most antibullfight)

more antibullfight (comparative)
most antibullfight (superlative)


antitaurine

an antitaurine antibody


running of the bulls

en-noun

running of the bulls (plural runnings of the bulls)


novillero

(bullfighting) A young trainee bullfighter (who fights against novillos).


paseíllo

(bullfighting) The parade before the start of a bullfight, when all the bullfighters enter the arena.


novillada

(bullfighting) A bullfight between a novillo and a novillero.


bull run

(bullfighting) An event in which people run with bulls in the streets.


volapié

(bullfighting) A mortal thrust to the bull. The bullfighter runs towards the stationary bull, facing it head-on, jumps on top of it and thrusts the estocada into the bull's back.


toril

A bullpen, especially one attached to a bullfighting arena where the bull is held prior to the fight.


puntillero

(bullfighting) A bullfighter who finally kills the bull with a blow of a knife.