noun
toreador
TOR-ee-uh-dor/ˈtɔːriədɔːr/
A person who fights bulls in an arena.
The mounted toreador guides his horse through a turn facing the bull.
Etymology
Torear means to take part in a bullfight, so the agent ending identifies the participant. English broadened the term from a mounted bullfighter to a bullfighter generally.
More examples
- The crowd cheers as the toreador steps into the ring.
- Two toreadors wait near the arena gate.
- In the opera, he plays a famous toreador.
Forms
toreador · toreadors
Similar words
- bullfighter
- The usual general term, without romantic or operatic associations.
- matador
- Specifically the bullfighter who kills the bull during the final stage.