What Spanish word means “girl turning fifteen” in the term quinceañera?

Quinceañera is the Spanish term for a girl celebrating her fifteenth birthday.

The word combines quince, “fifteen,” with a feminine suffix related to age or a life stage. It can refer specifically to the honoree or, in ordinary English usage, to the celebration held for her. The masculine counterpart is quinceañero.

In Spanish, the ñ is pronounced like the “ny” sound in canyon. The written accent in quinceañera marks the stressed syllable. English-language writing often omits the accent, but the accented form is standard Spanish spelling.

The term is not interchangeable with dama, chambelán, or madrina. Those words describe participants or supporters connected with the event. Quinceañera identifies the central celebrant and, by extension, the milestone celebration.