(n) a diacritical mark (~) placed over the letter n in Spanish to indicate a palatal nasal sound or over a vowel in Portuguese to indicate nasalization
‖n. [ Sp., fr. L. titulus a superscription, title, token, sign. See Title, n. ] The accentual mark placed over n, and sometimes over l, in Spanish words [ thus, ñ, <ilde_; ], indicating that, in pronunciation, the sound of the following vowel is to be preceded by that of the initial, or consonantal, y. [ 1913 Webster ]