estocada

American

[es-tuh-kah-duh, es-taw-kah-thah] / ˌɛs təˈkɑ də, ˌɛs tɔˈkɑ ðɑ /

noun

the thrust of the sword by the matador into the bull in the final stage of a bullfight, designed to kill the bull.

Etymology

Origin of estocada

1570–80; < Spanish < Middle French estoqu ( ier ) to give sword thrusts ( see estoc) + Spanish -ada -ade ¹

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

estocada

Before I could extricate myself," writes Sidney Joseph Perelman, "the auctioneer had brought me to my knees and was administering the estocada.

From Time Magazine Archive

For ten minutes after a good estocada, the matador is the most popular man in Spain.

From Castilian Days by John Hay

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023