seño

See also: seno and se no

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈseɲo/ [ˈse.ɲo]
• Rhymes: -eɲo
• Syllabification: se‧ño

Etymology 1

Clipping of señora or señorita.

Noun

seño f (plural seños)

1. (nonstandard, Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia) Ms. (a shortened form of address for women, usually those who are 15 years or older, in some places 12 or older)

   Oiga seño, ¿dónde ponemos este sillón?.

   Hey ma'am, where can we put this armchair?.

2. (student's slang, Argentina, Spain, El Salvador) Miss, Ma'am (a way for calling female teachers, especially for kids)

   Synonyms: maestra, señorita, profe

   Seño, ¿puedo ir al baño?

   Miss, can I go to the toilet?

Usage notes

• This form has grown somewhat in use, because it avoids conflict about the difference between señorita and señora, which imply marital status and are traditionally associated with virginity. For young single ladies, being called señora implies they are no longer virgins (and is therefore offensive), and for married women of a certain age, being called señorita implies being a spinster, not suitable for getting a husband (which is also offensive).
• For girls younger than the indicated age, usually the term niña is used.

Further reading

• “seño”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10
• “seño”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010

Etymology 2

Verb

seño

1. first-person singular present indicative of señar

Anagrams

• no sé
• soné
• soñé