quinceañera

or quin·ce·a·ne·ra

[ keens-ah-nyair-uh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

(among Hispanics in Latin America and the U.S.) a celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday, marking her transition from childhood to maturity.

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Word History and Origins

First recorded in 1970–75; from Spanish, feminine of quinceañero “fifteen-year-old,” from quince “fifteen” (from Latin quīndecim ) + año “year” (from Latin annus ) + -ero adjective suffix (from Latin -ārius )

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Example Sentences

Ordaz was turning 40, her oldest was graduating high school, her youngest would be celebrating her quinceañera.

From Washington Post

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