muleta

noun

mu·​le·​ta mü-ˈlā-tə How to pronounce muleta (audio)
myü-
: a small cloth attached to a short tapered stick and used by a matador in place of the large cape during the final stage of a bullfight

Examples of muleta in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Would a toreador be insulted when the bull responds to the muleta? Leah Garchik, SFChronicle.com, 19 June 2019

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, crutch, muleta, diminutive of mula she-mule, from Latin, feminine of mulus mule

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of muleta was in 1791

Dictionary Entries Near muleta

Cite this Entry

“Muleta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muleta. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on muleta

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!