noun
gills; branchia
The respiratory organ of fish and other aquatic animals. The most common meaning.
魚のえらは呼吸に使われる。
Fish gills are used for breathing.
えらが赤い魚は新鮮だ。
Fish with red gills are fresh.
noun
angle of the mandible; gonial angle
Anatomical term for the lower rear corner of the jawbone. Less common than the 'gills' sense.
下顎骨のえら部分を触ると痛い。
It hurts when I touch the gonial angle of my mandible.
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.