What Spanish noun commonly means the girl celebrated at a quinceañera?

The Spanish noun quinceañera commonly means the girl celebrated at a quinceañera.

The word is formed from quince, meaning fifteen, with a feminine ending. In everyday usage, quinceañera can refer either to the celebrant or, depending on context, to the celebration itself. English-language writing often uses the same spelling for the event.

The celebrant may also be called the quinceañera in descriptions of the ceremony, court, dress, or reception. A male celebrant is sometimes called a quinceañero, although terminology and customs vary among Spanish-speaking communities.

The term should not be confused with dama, which usually refers to a female member of the celebrant’s court, or chambelán, which commonly refers to a male escort. Regional vocabulary is not completely uniform, so families may use different titles for participants while retaining quinceañera for the central celebrant.