novillero

American

[noh-vee-air-oh, -vuhl-yair-oh, naw-vee-ye-raw, -lye-] / ˌnoʊ viˈɛər oʊ, -vəlˈjɛər oʊ, ˌnɔ viˈjɛ rɔ, -ˈljɛ- /

noun

a young bullfighter who has not yet been named a matador.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

novilleros

plural

Etymology

Origin of novillero

1920–25; < Spanish, equivalent to novill ( o ) a fighting bull less than three years old (< Latin novellus; see novel ²) + -ero (< Latin -ārius -ary ); such bulls are typically fought by novice bullfighters

Vocabulary lists containing novillero

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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.

See Examples For:

novillero novilleros

More successful was another novillero, a handsome 19-year-old boy billed as Liceaga.

From Time Magazine Archive

Sunday after Sunday, five unknown 18-year-old novilleros have pulled crowds that filled the Plaza Mexico's 50,000 seats.

From Time Magazine Archive

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