Mata Hari Stage Malay Ma Tuh Har Ee Mat Uh Noun

Mata Hari /MA-tuh HAR-ee, MAT-uh HAR-ee/

noun

A seductive woman who works as a spy.

[After exotic dancer Mata Hari, a stage name of Margaretha Geertruida Zelle (1876-1917). She was a Dutch woman, who took a Malay name, allegedly spied for the Germans, and was executed by the French. Her stage name Mata Hari means sun, literally "eye of the day", from Malay mata (eye) + hari (day, dawn). Earliest documented use: 1936.]

"In London, Sophia joins the war effort ... and embarks upon improbable espionage escapades, hoping to come off as a Mata Hari in furs and printed chiffon." - Liesl Schillinger; The Persistence of Levity; Newsweek (New York); Sep 20, 2013.