# Mata Hari

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. Any exotic female spy.

## Etymology
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 Indonesian matahari (“sun”), from Malay matahari (“sun”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mata-hari