-mata-

‖n. [ Sp. ] An old dance with swords and bucklers; a sword dance. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The three-banded armadillo (Tolypeutis tricinctus). See Illust. under Loricata. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Sp. matador, prop., a killer, fr. matar to kill, L. mactare to sacrifice, kill. ] 1. The killer; the man appointed to kill the bull in bullfights; a bullfighter; a toreador. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

2. (Card Playing) In the game of quadrille or omber, the three principal trumps, the ace of spades being the first, the ace of clubs the third, and the second being the deuce of a black trump or the seven of a red one. [ 1913 Webster ]

When Lady Tricksey played a four,
You took it with a matadore. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. [ Skat ] The jack of clubs, or any other trump held in sequence with it, whether by the player or by his adversaries. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

4. A certain game of dominoes in which four dominoes (the 4-3, 5-2, 6-1, and double blank), called matadors, may be played at any time in any way. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. (Zool.) A shrike or butcher bird; -- called also mattages. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Sp. matajudío a kind of fish. ] A large squirrel fish (Holocentrus ascensionis) of Florida and the West Indies. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

[ Sp. blanco white. ] A West Indian food fish (Malacanthus plumieri) related to the tilefish. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

‖n. [ Pg. ] (Zool.) The bearded tortoise (Chelys fimbriata) of South American rivers. [ 1913 Webster ]