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Glite Dictionary
novillero

novillero

9.9
A person who fights young bulls in the ring before becoming a matador
  • noun
  • /nəˈvɪlɛroʊ/
  • Jargon
translation icon : novillero
  • A novillero is a novice bullfighter.

Examples

  • Despite being a novillero, he showed great promise and earned the respect of the audience.

  • Below is how Mnera actually looked in the 'suit of lights' of a novillero.

    Blog text (28)

  • The novillero demonstrated impressive skills while battling the young bull in the ring.

  • After months of training, the aspiring novillero finally faced his first young bull in the arena.

Synonyms

bullfighter
vsnovillero
  • NSFW
14 6.3

A person who fights bulls in public shows in Spain or Mexico

is a junior performer who fights only young bulls before reaching matador status
toreador
vsnovillero
1 9.8

A person who fights bulls in a Spanish bullring

is a junior performer who fights young bulls and is not yet matador
torero
vsnovillero
1 9.9

A person who fights bulls in a Spanish bullfight

is a junior performer who fights young bulls rather than acting as matador

Antonyms

matador
  • NSFW
18 8.2

A bullfighter who makes the final moves and kills the bull

How Experienced

matador
  • NSFW
18 8.2
bullfighter
  • NSFW
14 6.3
novillero
  • Jargon
9.9

Surface Forms

novillero singular
novilleros plural

Etymology

The word novillero comes from the Spanish novillo, which means 'young bull' and comes from a root meaning 'new'. Think of English words like novice and novel, which also carry the 'new' idea. A novillero is both a fighter of those 'new' bulls and a junior or beginner bullfighter, so the origin explains its current meaning.