Picador
/ˌpiːkəˈdɔːr/noun
A mounted bullfighter who goads the bull with a lance.
Did you know?Picador comes from Spanish *picar* (“to prick, pierce, sting”), ultimately from a Latin root tied to pecking and stabbing, which is why the word feels so physically sharp.
Etymological Timeline
Latin (Classical)
Latin
picāre
“to prick, peck, or pierce”
Old Spanish
Spanish
picar
“to prick, sting, or goad”
16th Century
Spanish
picador
“one who pricks; later, a bullfighter who uses a lance”
18th Century
English
picador
“a mounted bullfighter in a bullfight”
Modern English
English
picador
“a horseman in the bullring who stabs or goads the bull with a lance”