Why “tauromachy” is a great word
TAUROMACHY — [Noun] The art, practice, or technique of bullfighting. From the Ancient Greek ταῦρος (taûros, "bull") + μάχη (mákhē, "battle, fight"). Unlike "corrida" (which denotes the fleeting spectacle of an afternoon) or "matador" (which names the mortal performer), tauromachy is the encompassing principle—the codified tradition, the lethal physics, and the trained artifice. It is the geometric perfection of a veronica, the scent of sweat and animal heat rising in a sun-blasted plaza, and the terrible, intimate silence between the lowered horn and the poised heart. A liturgy where every elegant pass rehearses the final, inelegant thrust.