|
Aficionado |
One who understands
bullfights in general
and in detail. A fan. |
|
Alternativa |
The formal envesture of
an apprentice matador as
a full matador de toros.
It consists in the
senior matador of the
fight giving up his
right to kill the first
bull and signifying it
by presenting muleta and
sword to the bullfighter
who is alternating for
the first time in the
killing of bulls with
full matadors. |
|
Apartado |
The sorting of the bulls
before the fight,
separating them and
putting them into pens
in the order in which it
has been decided they
are to be fought. |
|
Arena |
The sand in the ring.
|
|
Banderilla |
A barbed dart whose
shaft is ornamented with
brightly colored papers. |
|
Banderillero |
A specialist of the
cuadrilla whose task is
to meet the bull’s
charge with an artistic
lunge straight over the
animal’s head to implant
a pair of banderillas
into the nape of the
neck and in the same
motion to sidestep clear
of the passing horns.
Any member of the
cuadrilla may act as
banderillero, including
the matador himself. |
|
Barrera |
The red paintd wooden
fence around the ring.
|
|
Burladero |
A shelter built close
and little out from the
barrera behind which the
bullfighters can seek
shelter if attacked. |
|
Callejón |
The passgeway between
the wooden fence which
surrounds the ring. |
|
Capa |
The mantle or cape used
for the cape-work with
the bull before the
final passes with the
muleta. |
|
Capea |
The capework by the
bullfighter with the
bull, or the least
professional type of
bullfight, usually
undertaken in small
towns by amateurs and
often resulting in a
free-for-all. |
|
Citar |
Challenging the bull’s
attention to provoke a
charge. |
|
Cogida |
The occurrence of a
bullfighter’s being
caught and thrown by the
horns of the bull. |
|
Cornada |
A horn wound.
|
|
Correr la mano |
To manipulate the
hands. Refers to the
stylized movement of the
bullfighter’s hands in
accomplishing the
various types of passes
with the capa or the
muleta. |
|
Corrida de toros |
The bullfight
|
|
Cuadrilla |
The entire team of
bullfighters designated
to face a given bull:
the matador plus three
peones. |
|
Chicuelina |
One of the types of
passes in the faena de
capa. As the bull
assaults the cape, the
bullfighter pivots a
bfull turn on tiptoe,
wrapping himself
completely in the cape. |
|
Descabello |
Killing the bull after
it has been mortally
wounded, but is still on
its feet. |
|
Encierro |
The lockup of bulls and
then driving them on
foot from one corral to
the ring, as in the
running of the bulls in
Pamplona. |
|
Estocada |
Sword thrust by the
matador.
|
|
Estoque |
The sword used in
bullfighting
|
|
Faena |
The repertory of
stylized passes or feats
with the capa or muleta. |
|
Faena de capa |
The capea stage of the
bullfight.
|
|
Faena de muleta |
The muleta stage of the
bullfight.
|
|
Lances de capa |
Moves or passes with the
cape, such as
chicuelinas and
verónicas. |
|
Lidia |
The bullfight
|
|
Los toros |
The bullfight, as in
“vamos a los toros”.
|
|
Maletilla |
An aspirant bullfighter,
usually inexperienced
and awkward. |
|
Matador |
Literally, the killer.
The principal
bullfighter, in charge
of the cuadrilla, who
does the final work with
cape and muleta and
ultimately dispatches
the bull. |
|
Muleta |
The red cloth draped
over the stick or sword
for the final passes
with the bull.
Originates from the word
“crutch”. |
|
Novillada |
A formal bullfight but
with young or
second-rate bulls and
bullfighters who have
not yet been graduated
to matador level. |
|
Oreja |
The ear. If the
bullfighter has
distinguished himself in
a fight, upon the
acclamation of the
spectators and
authorization of the
president, he is awarded
the dead bull’s ear, or
both ears if he has done
particularly well, or
both ears and the tail
for a stupendous
performance. |
|
Pase |
The pass made with a
cape or muleta.
|
|
Paseíllo |
The processional
entrance of the
cuadrilla into the
bullring prior to the
appearance of the first
bull. |
|
Peón |
Literally, anyone who
works on foot.
Specifically, any of the
matador’s assistants who
feel out the bull with
banderillas or minor
capework. |
|
Pica |
The pike pole used in
bullfighting
|
|
Picador |
The specialist who while
mounted on a padded
horse, tests the bull’s
charge with a lance that
he drives between the
bull’s shoulder blades. |
|
Plaza de Toros |
The bullring.
|
|
Presidencia |
The authority in charge
of the conduct of the
bullfight. |
|
Puntilla |
The dagger used to kill
the bull after it has
been mortally wounded. |
|
Sorteo |
The drawing of lots of
the bulls before the
fight to determine which
bulls shall be killed by
which matadors. |
|
Suerte |
Any one of the
prescribed series of
feats or episodes ito
which a bullfight is
divided. |
|
Tomar la alternativa |
The ceremony by which a
senior matador
authorizes a novice to
kill the bull and thus
become a full-fledged
matador. |
|
Torear |
To fight a bull; to be a
torero
|
|
Toreo |
Bullfighting
|
|
Toreo de salón |
Practice bullfighting
without a bull.
|
|
Torerillo |
Little/small
bullfighter; apprentice.
|
|
Torero |
Bullfighter, not just
the matador, but
everyone in the
cuadrilla is a torero. |
|
Toril |
The enclosure from which
bulls come into the ring
to be fought. |
|
Toro |
The bull
|
|
Vara |
The pic used in
bullfighting
|
|
Verónica |
The most classic pass
with the cape. As the
bull rushes by, the
bullfighter stretches
his body gracefully
while he opens his cape
like a fan. |
