-azo

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese -aço, from Latin -āceus; cognate with Portuguese -aço and Spanish -azo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈaθʊ], (western) [ˈasʊ]

Suffix

-azo m (noun-forming suffix, plural -azos, feminine -aza, feminine plural -azas)

1. forms nouns denoting belonging, relation, resemblance or containment of the thing suffixed

   ‎anga (“handle; prong”) + ‎-azo → ‎angazo (“rake”)

   ‎baga (“grape”) + ‎-azo → ‎bagazo (“pomace”)

   ‎pedra (“stone”) + ‎-azo → ‎pedrazo (“hail, hailstone”)

2. forms augmentatives, i.e. words expressing greatness or size

   ‎espiña (“spine”) + ‎-azo → ‎espiñazo (“spinebone”)

3. forms words expressing a hit or strike

   ‎frecha (“arrow”) + ‎-azo → ‎frechazo (“arrow shot”)

   ‎moca (“club”) + ‎-azo → ‎mocazo (“punch, blow”)

Etymology

Inherited from Latin -āceus. Compare Galician -azo and Portuguese -aço.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /ˈaθo/ [ˈa.θo]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America, Philippines) /ˈaso/ [ˈa.so]
• Rhymes: -aθo
• Rhymes: -aso
• Syllabification: -a‧zo

Suffix

-azo m (noun-forming suffix, plural -azos, feminine -aza, feminine plural -azas)

1. forms augmentatives, i.e. words expressing greatness or size

   ‎plan (“plan”) + ‎-azo → ‎planazo (“great plan”)

   ‎gato (“cat”) + ‎-azo → ‎gatazo (“large cat”)

   ‎cuerpo (“body”) + ‎-azo → ‎cuerpazo (“sexy body”)

   ‎gol (“goal”) + ‎-azo → ‎golazo (“scorcher”)

2. forms pejoratives, i.e. words emphasizing contempt for a subject

   ‎cabrón (“asshole, bastard”) + ‎-azo → ‎cabronazo (“major asshole”)

3. forms words expressing a hit or strike

   ‎puño (“fist”) + ‎-azo → ‎puñetazo (“punch, a hit with the fist”)

   ‎cabeza (“head”) + ‎-azo → ‎cabezazo (“headbutt, a hit with the head”)

   ‎pistola (“pistol”) + ‎-azo → ‎pistoletazo (“gunshot”)

4. forms words expressing suddenness or brevity

   ‎teléfono (“telephone”) + ‎-azo → ‎telefonazo (“a sudden ring of the telephone”)

   ‎ducha (“shower”) + ‎-azo → ‎duchazo (“a quick shower”)

   ‎sable (“sabre”) + ‎-azo → ‎sablazo (“rip-off, overcharge”)

   ‎lag (“lag”) + ‎-azo → ‎lagazo (“lag, lagging”)

Further reading

• “-azo”, 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