MATABELE; MATABELES
Mat`a*be"le, or Mat`a*be"les, n. pl., sing. Matabele. [Written also
Matabili.] (Ethnol.)
Defn: A warlike South African Kaffir tribe.
MATACHIN
Ma`ta*chin", n. Etym: [Sp.]
Defn: An old dance with swords and bucklers; a sword dance.
MATACO
Mat"a*co, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The three-banded armadillo (Tolypeutis tricinctus). See Illust. under Loricata.
MATADORE; MATADOR Mat"a*dore, Mat"a*dor, n. Etym: [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.
2. (Card Playing)
Defn: 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. When Lady Tricksey played a four, You took it with a matadore. Swift.