Etymology Map
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Matador

3 stages from Spanish to English.

Today it means a bullfighter whose task is to kill the bull

Where does the word "matador" come from? It comes from Spanish matar, passing through Spanish before entering English (1670s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
matar
Spanish · medieval
"to kill"
to kill
2
Stage 2 of 3
matador
Spanish · 1600s
"killer"
'killer', the star of the bullfight
3
Stage 3 of 3
matador
English · 1670s
"bullfighter"
first used for the highest trump cards in the card game ombre
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Read the full story

Matador’s story begins in Spanish: matar meant “to kill.” To kill. Within Spanish, it grew into matador by 1600s. 'killer', the star of the bullfight. It reached English by 1670s as matador. First used for the highest trump cards in the card game ombre. Today, matador means a bullfighter whose task is to kill the bull.