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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Discover More

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

The iconic building has hosted many authors and artists throughout its history, including Ernest Hemingway, Mata Hari and Greta Garbo.

From New York Times ● Oct. 26, 2022

Did Mata Hari try to blackmail Wilson after seducing him?

From Washington Post ● Dec. 20, 2021

The 1960s saw the Mata Hari type rejuvenated with the emergence of the Bond girl in Dr No and almost simultaneously, the sensational tabloid coverage of Christine Keeler and the Profumo Affair in 1963.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 9, 2019

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

From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia

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