Refers to exaggerated stories or self-praise. Often used in the phrase ほらを吹く (to boast/tell tall tales).
He's always bragging.
conch; trumpet shell
Abbreviation of 法螺貝 (ほらがい). Refers to the shell itself, especially the Triton's trumpet. This is the original meaning but now rare outside of specific contexts.
See also: ほら貝
That story is probably just a tall tale.
法螺貝 is sometimes abbreviated to ほら.
big talk; tall tale; exaggeration
trapezium horse conch
Usually written in kana. The kanji form 法螺 is rare and mainly used in fixed expressions.
Katakana spelling sometimes used for emphasis or in informal writing.
Rare kanji form; mainly seen in compounds like 法螺貝 or in literary contexts.
Originally an abbreviation of 法螺貝 (ほらがい, 'conch shell'). The 'boasting' sense likely developed from the image of blowing a conch shell loudly, metaphorically referring to making grandiose claims.