matador

American  

[mat-uh-dawr] / ˈmæt əˌdɔr /

noun

1. the principal bullfighter in a bullfight who passes the bull with a muleta and then, in many countries, kills it with a sword thrust; a torero.

2. one of the principal cards in skat and certain other games.

3. (initial capital letter) a jet-powered U.S. surface-to-surface missile.

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matador British  

/ ˈmætədɔː /

noun

1. the principal bullfighter who is appointed to kill the bull

2. (in some card games such as skat) one of the highest ranking cards

3. a game played with dominoes in which the dots on adjacent halves must total seven

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Etymology

Origin of matador

1665–75; < Spanish, equivalent to mata ( r ) to kill (perhaps < Vulgar Latin *mattāre, presumed derivative of Late Latin mattus soft, weak; cf. matte ¹) +- dor -tor

Compare meaning

How does matador compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• toreador vs. matador

Example Sentences

Neugebauer’s departure comes as Fermi struggles to find a cornerstone tenant for its Project Matador campus in Amarillo, Texas.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

In Fermi’s case, the company won’t commit new capital to the next phase of Matador construction until it gets more project financing.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Fermi’s stock sank to a record low, as Project Matador has yet to secure its first client, and the company didn’t provide clarity on when it would.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

It was nearly 5 p.m. when we parked at El Matador State Beach.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

The story from the two ladies who saw the aluminum-colored pear-shaped object hovering near the road near Matador, Texas, was studied, checked, and rechecked.

From The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects by Ruppelt, Edward J.