Mata Hari

noun

Any exotic female spy.

OriginMalay matahari →
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Meanings

nounMata Hari (plural Mata Haris)

plural Mata Haris

  1. Any exotic female spy.

Origin

  1. Malaymatahari“sun”
  2. EnglishMata Hari

From Dutch (stage name of Margaretha Geertruida (Grietje) Zelle, a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was executed by firing squad for alleged espionage during World War I), from Malay matahari (“sun”).

More words from Malay

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Mata Hari. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Mata%20Hari

MLA

“Mata Hari.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Mata%20Hari. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Mata Hari,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Mata%20Hari.

Source: Mata Hari on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.