sideburns; sidelocks; tuft of hair in front of the ears
Refers to the hair growing in front of the ears, often styled or left natural. The term is neutral and commonly used in everyday contexts.
He grows his sideburns long.
I had my sideburns trimmed at the barber.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; usually written in kana.
Kana spelling; the word is usually written this way.
Full kanji spelling; less common than the mixed form, but still encountered.
Katakana spelling; sometimes used for emphasis or in informal writing.
Derived from the verb 揉む (もむ, 'to rub' or 'to knead') and 上げ (あげ, 'raising'), possibly from the action of rubbing or styling the hair upward. The exact origin is uncertain.