Mata Hari

American  

[mah-tuh hahr-ee, mat-uh har-ee] / ˈmɑ tə ˈhɑr i, ˈmæt ə ˈhær i /

noun

1. Gertrud Margarete Zelle, 1876–1917, Dutch dancer in France: executed as a spy by the French.

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Mata Hari British  

/ ˈmɑːtə ˈhɑːrɪ /

noun

1. real name Gertrud Margarete Zelle. 1876–1917, Dutch dancer in France, who was executed as a German spy in World War I

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Mata Hari Cultural  

1. A Dutch spy who worked for both the French and the Germans during World War I. The French executed her in 1917.

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A “Mata Hari” is a seductive, double-dealing woman.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Mata Hari

He called his home the Mata Hari Ranch.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

Did Mata Hari try to blackmail Wilson after seducing him?

From Washington Post ● Dec. 20, 2021

When Hitchcock tackled the Mata Hari trope in Notorious, it was already showing its age.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 9, 2019

Rooms, with names like Saint-Pétersbourg, Marco Polo and Mata Hari, are flamboyant, furnished to reflect their inspirations.

From New York Times ● Sep. 20, 2018

She kept talking, muttering about Mexico, throwing her Mata Hari disguise on the beat-up sofa.

From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia