Wei Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Meat (ròu) 膂 Kangxi strokes: 16 Page 990, Entry 21 Pronounced lü (rising tone). Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Simple and Compound Characters): The backbone. It is a pictograph. Guangya (Broad Refinement): Backbone signifies meat. Book of Documents (Shujing), Chapter on Jun Ya: Acting as thighs, arms, heart, and backbone. Also, according to Yupian (Jade Chapter), in ancient times it was the same as the character for backbone (lü).