coat (of hair or fur); lie of hair
Refers to the quality, texture, or direction of an animal's fur or hair. Often used when describing a dog's or cat's coat.
This dog has a very beautiful coat.
猫の毛並みをブラシで整える。
I groom the cat's coat with a brush.
He comes from a family of good lineage.
The employees at that company are all of a different sort.
Standard spelling with okurigana; preferred in modern usage.
Variant without okurigana; also common, especially in formal or compact writing.
Compound of 毛 (ke, 'hair') and 並み (nami, 'line, row, average'). The literal meaning is the lie or arrangement of hair, which extended metaphorically to a person's background or quality.