Corrida

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A performance featuring a series of events, often horse-related, where competitors demonstrate skills
2. A style of Spanish bullfighting characterized by formal rituals and pageantry
3. An organized exhibition showcasing athletic prowess and traditional cultural elements involving a bull and matadors

Etymology: The Spanish word "corrida" literally means "a running" or "a race," and its link to the bullring comes from the verb "correr," "to run." The noun was formed from the past participle of "correr," which goes back to Latin "currere." In the bullfight, the bull's charge across the arena is the running that gave the spectacle its name, so the word named the action of the animal rather than the ritual of the fight. Over time, Spanish speakers used "corrida" for many kinds of running events, from a hunt to a rush of water. When the formal bullfighting tradition took shape, "corrida de toros," literally "running of bulls," became the standard name for the spectacle, and the shortened "corrida" kept that sense. English borrowed the word directly from Spanish. The cloud of pageantry that now clings to it, with its rituals and costumes, came with the spectacle itself, while the word's core meaning stayed fixed on movement and running.

Synonyms: bullfight, event, performance, show, exhibition