Torero
/təˈrɛəroʊ/noun
A professional bullfighter, especially one who performs in a Spanish bullfight.
Did you know?Torero comes from Spanish toro, ultimately related to Latin taurus—the same ancient bull-name behind Taurus and the word taurine, first associated with ox bile.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tauros
“A bull or aurochs; an ancient Indo-European name for the powerful horned animal.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ταῦρος (tauros)
“Bull; also used in religious and mythic contexts involving bull sacrifice.”
Classical Latin
Latin
taurus
“Bull, especially a male bovine animal used in sacrifice or spectacle.”
Medieval Spanish
Spanish
toro
“Bull; descended from Latin taurus through regular Romance development.”
Modern Spanish and English
Spanish/English
torero
“A bullfighter; formed from toro with the occupational suffix -ero and later adopted into English.”
Explore more surprising origins