mata-mata
Portuguese, noun/ˌma.tɐˈma.tɐ/
mata-mata is spelled M-A-T-A-M-A-T-A (8 letters). Mata-mata is a Portuguese masculine noun meaning “knockout stage, (UK) tie (tournament in which a team or player must beat the opponent in order to progress)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário) defines it as “fase de um torneio em que o time perdedor é automaticamente eliminado”.
What does mata-mata mean in English?
noun
- 1
Brazilmasculineknockout stage, (UK) tie (tournament in which a team or player must beat the opponent in order to progress)
noun
- 1
femininealternative form of matamatá
Source: English Wiktionary, Portuguese section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How Portuguese dictionaries define it
noun: 1. fase de um torneio em que o time perdedor é automaticamente eliminado 2. jogo com bolas de gude que essencialmente consiste em bater a bola do adversário para se apossar dela
The definition in the Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário), in Portuguese.
Source: Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário), dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of mata-mata
- mata-matas plural
Source: English Wiktionary and Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
How do you pronounce mata-mata?
- Brazil /ˌma.tɐˈma.tɐ/
- Portugal /ˌma.tɐˈma.tɐ/
Sources: English Wiktionary, Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.