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The character 厣 (simplified from 厴) is a phono-semantic compound whose traditional form paired the phonetic 厭 with the semantic radical 甲, meaning shell or armor; the simplified version preserves this structure using 厌 and 甲. It refers to two protective anatomical features in crustaceans and mollusks: the thin abdominal flap beneath a crab, commonly called the crab's navel, and the operculum, the hard, lid-like plate that marine snails use to seal their shells. The term appears almost exclusively in marine biology, zoological descriptions, and seafood-related contexts.
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