noun
also ma·ta·chine ˌmäd.əˈchēn, ˌma-, -ˈshēn
( -s ; see sense 1b )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Italian mattaccino, from matto madman, fool, from matto mad, crazy, from Latin mattus stupid, drunk
1.
a. : a sword dancer in a fantastic costume — called also bouffon
b. plural matachi·ni -ē(ˌ)nē
[Mexican Spanish matachín, from Spanish, matachin (sense 1a), from Italian mattaccino ]
: a member of a society of Mexican-Indian dancers who perform ritual dances
2. : a dance performed by a matachin