gills; branchia
The respiratory organ of fish and other aquatic animals. The most common meaning.
Fish gills are used for breathing.
angle of the mandible; gonial angle
Anatomical term for the lower rear corner of the jawbone. Less common than the 'gills' sense.
Fish breathe through their gills.
Fish with red gills are fresh.
It hurts when I touch the gonial angle of my mandible.
He has a square-jawed face.
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 鰓, 腮, and 顋 are rare.
Katakana spelling, sometimes used in biological contexts or for emphasis.
Rare kanji form for 'gills'.
Rare kanji form, sometimes used for the anatomical sense 'angle of the mandible'.
Rare kanji form, sometimes used for the anatomical sense 'angle of the mandible'.
The origin is uncertain. The word is native Japanese and has been used since ancient times to refer to the gills of fish. The anatomical sense is a metaphorical extension based on the shape.