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

González did learn about Stewart’s life and work, as well as other women in the SOE, including Virginia Hall, Nancy Wake and Mata Hari.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2024

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

Mr. Pinck knew to be on the lookout for Japanese spies, and he grew concerned about the possibility that a Mata Hari was among them.

From Washington Post • Feb. 26, 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