bullfight

[bool-fahyt]

noun

1. a traditional Spanish, Portuguese, or Latin American spectacle in which a bull is fought fought by a matador, assisted by banderilleros and picadors, in a prescribed way in an arena and is usually killed.

bullfight

/ ˈbʊlˌfaɪt /

noun

1. a traditional Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American spectacle in which a matador, assisted by banderilleros and mounted picadors, baits and usually kills a bull in an arena

Other Word Forms

• bullfighting noun
• bullfighter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bullfight¹

First recorded in 1745–55; bull ¹ + fight

Example Sentences

Such is the rub you may find yourself in with iconoclastic Spanish director Albert Serra’s “Afternoons of Solitude,” his first nonfiction film, an unflinching gaze at bullfighting, its hushed, ornate rituals and gruesome realities.

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Socorro’s social nature, her spunk and her adaptability were likely rooted in her early childhood experiences tagging along with her father to bullfights and bars.

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There was a parade, a bullfight, several Catholic Masses — and ample opportunity to share the food, language and culture of a quietly powerful community tucked into California’s farmlands.

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Yet there was a strong feeling of the unknown when I made the ring walk for my bare knuckle debut in a bullfighting arena in Marbella which looked like a mini colosseum.

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It may sound like an unusual career choice in an era where bullfighting is considered a cruel and outdated sport, primarily due to issues of animal welfare.

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