matador (matador)

[ written matadore. In costly sheen and gaudy cloak array'd, But all afoot, the light-limb'd Matadore Stands in the centre, eager to invade The lord of lowing herds. Byron, Childe Harold, i. 74. 2. One of the three principal cards in the games of omber and quadrille. These three are the ace of clubs, the ace of spades, and the two of trumps should clubs or spades be trumps, or the seven of trumps should hearts or diamonds be trumps. Now move to war her sable Matadores In show like leaders of the swarthy Moors. Pope, R. of the L., iii. 47. 3. In the game of solo, the spadella, manilla, or basta (which three are known as the higher matadors ), and, if these are all obtained by one side, any one of all lower cards held in uninterrupted sequence in one hand: the latter are known as lower matadors.