Spanish word

patilla

Pronunciation

IPA/paˈtiʝa/

Meaning

  • feminine nounsideburn

Example

Tiene unas patillas largas.

He has long sideburns.

Illustration for patilla (sideburn)

More examples

Se rompió la patilla de las gafas.

The temple of the glasses broke.

Core concept

Short vertical patch of facial hair along the temple beside the ear.

Common phrases

  • arreglarse las patillas

    groom one's sideburns

  • llevar patillas prominentes

    have prominent sideburns

Similar words

barba: Thick growth of hair covering the chin, cheeks and jaw.
bigote: Narrow band of hair growing directly above the upper lip.
perilla: Small tuft of hair concentrated on the tip of the chin.
sien: Side area of the head at the temple, between the forehead and the ear.

Definition in Spanish

Mechón lateral de la cara, junto a la sien y la oreja, que forma parte del estilo del corte de pelo.

Word origin

Derived from Spanish pata 'leg or appendage' with the diminutive -illa, the term refers metaphorically to the small tuft of hair at the temple.

Usage tips

  • Spanish commonly uses the plural las patillas to refer to a person's side hair as a set, so descriptions and compliments usually appear in the plural.

Other meanings

  • templenoun
  • watermelonnoun

Related words

  • patilludowith prominent sideburnsadjective

Word lists with this word