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鬣 is a phono-semantic compound: the upper radical 髟 means 'hair' or 'locks', anchoring the character in the domain of fur and bodily hair; below it, the component 巤 (liè) represents 'whiskers' and gives the pronunciation. The character originally denoted the long, coarse hair on the neck of animals, the mane of a horse or lion, or the stiff bristles of a boar. In modern biological usage, it has extended to describe various bristle-like anatomical structures, including the dorsal fins of certain fish.
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