hair whorl; cowlick
Refers to the spiral pattern of hair growth on the head, often at the crown. Commonly used in everyday conversation.
He has two hair whorls on the top of his head.
つむじの向きは人によって違う。
The direction of the hair whorl differs from person to person.
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 旋毛 is rare.
Kanji form; rarely used. The reading せんもう is archaic and not used in modern Japanese.
The origin is uncertain. The word つむじ may be related to つむ (spindle) or つむじ (whirlpool), reflecting the spiral shape.