matador

[ mat-uh-dawr ]

See synonyms for matador on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

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

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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. matte¹) +-dor-tor

Words Nearby matador

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use matador in a sentence

Comfortable and practical, work hard and play hard, and look great all the way- the perfect gear to help you find your true matador within.
Matador Meggings will be your new obsession | Matador Meggings | March 24, 2022 | Washington Blade
The North Dakota native is the fourth of seven children raised in the small town of matador, pop.
Never Bet Against Senator Heidi Heitkamp, North Dakota’s Rising Star | Sandra McElwaine | January 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
It's a snap of the matador's red cape, a defiant baiting of Fox News and talk radio.
Obama's Fighting Speech - Part 2 | David Frum | January 21, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Neither matador nor Power, known off-stage as Chan Marshall, had any additional comments.
Cat Power Announces Possible Tour Cancellation, Bankruptcy | Lauren Streib | November 2, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
A representative from her label, matador Records, confirmed that nothing has been canceled.
Cat Power Announces Possible Tour Cancellation, Bankruptcy | Lauren Streib | November 2, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST

Gerard Cosloy, who would sign the band to his matador Records years later, criticized their early shows.
Yo La Tengo and the Birth of Indie Rock: ‘Big Day Coming’ Reviewed | Alyssa Noel | June 8, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Perhaps Frank Harris's "matador" gave me the impulse, together with my perpetual quest for a new experience.
My Wonderful Visit | Charlie Chaplin
The trick of the matador with his red cloak suggested itself in this181 moment of peril.
Popular Adventure Tales | Mayne Reid
A brave hand may yet cut the "Sipo matador," and the slayer be slain before he has quite stifled his victim.
The Crime Against Europe | Roger Casement
She proposed that he should write her life, “starting with the assumption that she was a daughter of the famous matador, Montes.”
Lola Montez | Edmund B. d'Auvergne
The matador foils and plays with the bull until he has discovered his disposition.
Gatherings From Spain | Richard Ford

British Dictionary definitions for matador

matador

/ (ˈmætədɔː) /

noun

the principal bullfighter who is appointed to kill the bull
(in some card games such as skat) one of the highest ranking cards

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

Origin of matador

C17: from Spanish, from matar to kill

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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