Meanings
plural faenas
- bullfightingA series of passes performed by a matador with a muleta or a sword before the kill.
1 more example
Faena is the vital third act in which the matador exhibits his skill with the muleta. Tradition requires that during the faena he keep his sword in his right hand, which usually also holds the muleta. Experts judge that the excellence of any single fight depends about sixty to seventy percent on the faena, which can excuse poor work elsewhere.
2013, James A. Michener, Iberia, Dial Press, →ISBN, page 736
Origin
- Spanishfaena
- Englishfaena
Borrowed from Spanish faena. Doublet of hacienda and fazenda.
More words from Spanish
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French faena
- faenapasses
Spanish faena
- faenapasses
Cite this entry
faena. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/faena
“faena.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/faena. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “faena,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/faena.
Source: faena on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.