bullfighting
/ˈbʊlˌfaɪ.tɪŋ/
bullfighting means A traditional spectacle, popular in Spain and many former Spanish colonies, in which a matador manipulates and ultimately kills a bull at close range. It carries an Arena rating of 1361, earned across 7 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, bullfighting ranks #726 of 13,275 for Most Vivid Words, #1,216 of 13,275 for Scariest Words, #2,014 of 13,275 for Most Ponderous Words, #6,392 of 13,275 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
bullfighting is pronounced /ˈbʊlˌfaɪ.tɪŋ/.
Why “bullfighting” is a great word
A traditional spectacle in which a matador manipulates and ultimately kills a bull at close range. From the English compound bull + fighting, it was first recorded in 1745–55. Unlike 'tauromachy,' with its Hellenic formality for the ancient struggle, or 'corrida,' which specifies the particular Spanish event, 'bullfighting' is the blunt, all-encompassing Anglo-Saxon term. It is the precise geometry of the capote swirling in dusty light, the distilled odor of animal sweat and hot sand, and the sudden, violent quiet as the fight leaves the beast—a ceremony that renders brutality exquisite, transforming a slaughter into a tragic art performed in the afternoon sun.
Etymology
From bull + fighting.
noun
- A traditional spectacle, popular in Spain and many former Spanish colonies, in which a matador manipulates and ultimately kills a bull at close range.“In Portugal, Spain, Southern France and some Latin American countries, bulls are used in the sport of bullfighting.”
Words closest in meaning
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