Question

In what context might one see a matador?

Answer 1

Matador, in bullfighting, the principal performer who works the capes and usually dispatches the bullwith a sword thrust between the shoulder blades. Though most bullfighters have been men, women bullfighters have participated in the spectacle for centuries. (For greater detail on bullfighters, seebullfighting.)

The techniques used by modern matadors date from about 1914, when Juan Belmonte revolutionized the ancient spectacle. Formerly, the main object of the fight had been only to prepare the bull for the sword thrust. But Belmonte, a small, slight Andalusian, emphasized the danger to the matador by close and graceful capework, and the kill became secondary. He worked closer to the bull’s horns than had ever been believed possible and became an overnight sensation. Several matadors were killed trying to imitate Belmonte’s style.