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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. A bullfighter who performs the final passes and kills the bull.
  2. n. Games One of the highest trumps in certain card games.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. A killer; specifically, the man appointed to kill the bull in bull-fights. He carries in his right hand a naked sword, and in his left the muleta, a small stick with a piece of scarlet silk attached, with which, after the animal has been sufficiently tormented by the picadors and banderilleros, he draws its attention to himself, and then kills it by plunging his sword into its neck. Also written matadore.
  2. n. One of the three principal cards in the games of omber and quadrille. These three are the ace of clubs, the ace of spades, and the two of trumps should clubs or spades be trumps, or the seven of trumps should hearts or diamonds be trumps.
  3. n. In the game of solo, the spadella, manilla, or basta (which three are known as the higher matadors), and, if these are all obtained by one side, any one of all lower cards held in uninterrupted sequence in one hand: the latter are known as lower matadors.
  4. n. In skat, every trump in unbroken sequence with The highest trump, if in the same player's hand or on the same side as the highest trump. See skat.

Wiktionary

  1. n. bullfighting The person whose aim is to kill the bull in a bullfight.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. The killer; the man appointed to kill the bull in bullfights; a bullfighter; a toreador.
  2. n. (Card Playing) In the game of quadrille or omber, the three principal trumps, the ace of spades being the first, the ace of clubs the third, and the second being the deuce of a black trump or the seven of a red one.
  3. n. [Skat] The jack of clubs, or any other trump held in sequence with it, whether by the player or by his adversaries.
  4. n. A certain game of dominoes in which four dominoes (the 4-3, 5-2, 6-1, and double blank), called matadors, may be played at any time in any way.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. the principal bullfighter who is appointed to make the final passes and kill the bull

Etymologies

  1. Spanish matador ("killer"). Used in the English language as title for a bullfighter, however referred to as a toreador in Spain. (Wiktionary)
  2. Spanish, from matar, to kill, possibly from Vulgar Latin *mattāre, to beat senseless, perhaps from Latin mattus, stupefied; see mat2. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

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synonyms (2)

Words with the same meaning

  1. bullfighter
  1. toreador

equivalents (1)

Other words for ‘matador’

  1. matadore

hypernyms (2)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. bullfighter
  1. toreador

same context (18)

Words that are found in similar contexts

  1. toreador
  2. gaucho
  3. bullfighter
  1. corazon
  2. banco
  3. toqui
  1. seno
  2. aspecto
  3. duelo
  1. tercer
  2. arco
  3. town clerk
  1. vuelo
  2. gorra
  3. bolsillo
  1. abogado
  2. cheapo
  3. retrato

reverse dictionary (12)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. bullfight
  2. espada
  1. cuadrilla
  2. muleta
  1. torero
  2. toreador
  1. banderillero
  2. faena
  1. moment of truth
  2. pase
  1. veronica
  2. corrida

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Comments

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  • fbharjo 'literally' in OED definition Apr 27, 2011

  • john I think it's closer to "killer," which is a bit different.

    It's also the record label of Yo La Tengo, Belle & Sebastian, The New Pornographers and a bunch of other great bands :-) Sep 20, 2007

  • linguista88 Isn't the literal translation of this word 'murderer' ? Sep 20, 2007

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‘matador’ has been looked up 1458 times, loved by 4 people, added to 15 lists, commented on 3 times, and has a Scrabble score of 10.