patilla
sideburns
pata
paw or leg
+
-illa
diminutive suffix
Patilla means sideburns and can be thought of as a small pata0 (paw or leg0) on the side of the face, with -illa1 indicating it's a small version1.
noun
- sideburnsSideburns or the hair on the side of a man's faceSe dejó crecer las patillas para cambiar su apariencia. // He grew out his sideburns to change his appearance.
- stemThe stem or handle of certain objects, such as glasses or musical instrumentsSe le rompió la patilla de las gafas y tuvo que repararlas. // The arm of his glasses broke and he had to repair them.