A matador in full dress in Plaza de Toros Las Ventas in Madrid
In English, the torero is sometimes called the toreador. The term does not exist in Spanish; it was invented by Georges Bizet for his opera Carmen. He needed the syllables of the word to match the timing of the song.
A very small number of women have been bullfighters on foot or on horseback; one recent example is Cristina Sánchez. Female matadors have experienced considerable resistance and public hostility from aficionados and other matadors, perhaps being seen as a less physically nimble gender than the established norm.
Usually, toreros start fighting younger bulls (novillos or, more informally in some Latin American countries, vaquillas), and are called novilleros. Fighting of mature bulls commences only after a special match, called "the Alternative". At this same bullfight, the novillero (junior bullfighter) is presented to the crowd as a matador de toros.
Early 20th-century photograph of a matador, showing traditional outfit
The act of bullfighting is not called or considered a stand-alone sport but rather a performance art. There is no contest, simple punctuation, nor any formal classification.
Further still, bullfighting, historically, started more with nobles upon horseback, all lancing bulls with accompanying commoners on foot doing helper jobs. As time went by, the work of the commoners on foot gained in importance up to the point whereupon they became the main and only act. Bullfighting on horseback became a separate and distinct act called "rejoneo" which is still performed today--although, not as often as bullfighting itself does on foot.
Picador
Bullfighting on foot became a means for poor, able-bodied men to achieve fame and fortune, similar to the role of boxing in the United States. When a famous torero was asked why he risked his life, one man reportedly answered Más cornadas da el hambre ("Hunger strikes more painfully", lit. "Hunger gives more gores"). Today, it is now common for a bullfighter to be born into a family of bullfighters.
The established term, Maletilla or espontáneo, is attributed to those who illegally jump into the ring and attempt to bullfight for their sake and glory. While the practice itself is widely despised by many spectators and fans alike, some, such as El Cordobés, started their very careers this way.
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