muleta

American

[moo-ley-tuh, -let-uh] / muˈleɪ tə, -ˈlɛt ə /

noun

a red cloth similar to but smaller than a capa and manipulated by a stick set into one of the three holes in or near the center, for use by a matador in guiding the course of the bull's attack in the stage of the fight preparatory to the kill.

muleta British

/ mjuːˈlɛtə /

noun

the small cape attached to a stick used by the matador during the final stages of a bullfight

"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

Etymology

Origin of muleta

1830–40; < Spanish: prop, support, muleta, diminutive of mula (feminine) mule ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Manolete, with a flick of the wrist, will transfer the bull's attention back to the muleta.

From Time Magazine Archive

Most matadors keep the muleta between them and the bull.

From Time Magazine Archive

El Cordob�s remained rooted, controlling the muleta with his arms and wrist.

From Time Magazine Archive

The bull's head was down as he watched the muleta.

From Time Magazine Archive

When he had finished his work with the muleta and was ready to kill, the crowd made him go on.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

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