Classical Arabic - English Dictionary

ضَحِكَ, (Ṣ, MA, O, Mṣb, Ḳ, &c.,) and some say ضِحِكْتُ, with kesr to the ض, (TA, as from the Ḳ, [but not in the CK nor in my MṢ. copy of the Ḳ,]) to agree with the vowel of the ح because the latter is a faucial letter, and this is a correct dial. var. of which similar instances are mentioned, and ضَحَكَ also is said to be a well known dial. var. of ضَحِكَ, (TA,) aor. ـَ {يَضْحَكُ}, (Ṣ. O,) inf. n. ضَحِكٌ and ضِحْكٌ (Ṣ, MA, O, Mṣb, Ḳ, KL) and ضَحْكٌ, (Ṣ, MA, O, Ḳ, KL,) the first of which is the superior form, (IDrd, O,) [the second and third being contractions thereof,] and ضِحِكٌ, (Ṣ, O, Ḳ, KL,) and if you said ضَحَكٌ it would be agreeable with analogy, (Az, TA,) He laughed; (MA, KL, PṢ, TḲ;) contr. of بَكَى: (TḲ:) [see also 6:] الضَّحِكُ is well known, as meaning the expanding of the face, and displaying of the teeth, by reason of happiness, joy, or gladness; and التَّبَسُّمُ is the beginning thereof: thus in the Towsheeh and other works: (MF, TA:) and in like manner in the Mufradát [of Er-Rághib]; in which it is added that it is also used as meaning simply the being happy, joyful, or glad: and sometimes as meaning simply the wondering [at a thing]; and this is the meaning intended by him who says that it is peculiar to man: (TA:) [i. e.] ضَحِكَ, said of a man, signifies also he wondered; syn. عَجِبَ; (O, Ḳ, TA;) with مِنْ preposed to the object of wonder: (TA:) or he was frightened; or he feared. (Ḳ, TA.) You say, ضَحِكَ مِنْهُ and بِهِ, both meaning the same, (Ṣ, O, Mṣb,) i. e. He laughed at him; derided him; or ridiculed him: or he wondered at him. (Mṣb.) And ضَحِكَ إِلَيْهِ [He behaved laughingly, or cheerfully, towards him]. (IDrd and Ḳ in art. بش [See بَشَّ لَهُ.])

Said of an ape, He uttered a cry or cries: (Ḳ:) or one says of the ape when he utters a cry or cries, يَضْحَكُ, (Ṣ, TA,) meaning he displays his teeth, or grins. (TA.)

And ضَحِكَ السَّحَابُ ‡ The clouds lightened. (Ṣ, O, Ḳ, TA.) Hence the usage of the verb in a trad. cited voce تَحَدَّثَ. (O, TA.)

And ضَحِكَ الغَدِيرُ i. e. ‡ [The pool of water left by a torrent] glistened by reason of its fulness. (TA.)

[And ضَحِكَ ثَغْرُهُ † His front teeth, or his teeth, glistened by reason of his laughing; meaning he laughed so as to show his front teeth, or his teeth.]

And ضَحِكَ الزَّهْرُ ‡ The flowers [looked gay, or] were as though they were laughing. (TA.) And ضَحِكَتِ الأَرْضُ ‡ The earth, or land, put forth its plants, or herbage, and its flowers. (TA.) And ضَحِكَتِ الرِّيَاضُ عَنِ الأَزْهَارِ ‡ The meadows, or gardens, displayed the flowers. (TA.)

And ضَحِكَتِ النَّخْلَةُ ‡ The palm-tree put forth [or disclosed] its ضَحْك; as alsoأَضْحَكَت↓; (TA;) [i. e.] the spathe of the palm-tree, (Skr, O, TA,) that covered the طَلْع [or spadix], (O,) burst open. (Skr, O, TA.) And ضَحِكَ الطَّلْعُ ‡ The طلع [here app. meaning the spathe of the palm-tree] split, or clave, open; and so تَبَسَّمَ. (TA.)

And, as some assert, (ISd, TA,) ضَحِكَتْ signifies also ‡ She menstruated; said of a hare; (ISd, Z, O, Mṣb, TA;) accord. to some, from the ضَحَّاك [meaning the interior] of the طَلْعَة [of the palm-tree] when it bursts open; (ISd, TA;) and hence, (Ḳ, TA,) said also in this sense of a woman, (O, Mṣb, Ḳ, TA,) accord. to Mujáhid, (O, TA,) and some others, (TA,) in the Ḳur xi. 74, (O, Ḳ, TA,) where some read فَضَحَكَتْ, which is said to be a well-known dial. var.; (TA;) and likewise, accord. to some, said in this sense of the hyena, (O, TA,) when she sees blood, or as IAạr says, when she eats the flesh of men and drinks their blood: (TA:) [it is commonly asserted by the Arabs that] the hare menstruates like women: (Ḳzw:) but with respect to this meaning as assigned to the verb in the Ḳur xi. 74, Fr says that he had not heard it from any person deserving of confidence; (O, TA;*) and Zj says that it is nought: both say that the meaning there is, she laughed by reason of happiness: (TA:) and some say that there is an inversion in this case, what is meant being فَبَشَّرْنَاهَا بِإِسْحٰقَ فَضَحِكَتْ: (Fr, O, TA:) or the meaning is, she wondered; so says I’Ab; and so Er-Rághib, who adds that it is confirmed by her saying, “shall I bring forth a child when I am an old woman, and this my husband is an old man? verily this is indeed a wonderful thing:” and that فَحَاضَتْ which is inserted by some of the expositors after فَضَحِكَتْ is not an explanation of this expression, as some of them have imagined it to be, but is the mention of [a fact which was] a sign that the announcement was not that of an event improbable: or the meaning is, she was frightened; so says Fr.: (TA:) and with respect to the meaning of this verb when said of the hyena, mentioned above, it is rejected by AḤát and others: (TA:) IDrd says, on the authority of AḤát, respecting the following verse of TaäbbataSharrà,

* تَضْحَكُ الضَّبْعُ لِقَتْلَى هُذَيْلٍ *

* وَتَرَى الذِّئْبَ لَهَا يَسْتَهِلُّ *

that the meaning is † The hyena displays her teeth, or grins, on account of the slain [of Hudheyl], when she sees them, like as they say of the ass when he plucks out the [plant called] صِلِّيَانَة; (O, TA;) or, as others say, † the hyena snarls, displaying her teeth; and sees the wolf raising his voice in calling the [other] wolves to them, i. e. to the slain: (O, TA:*) Abu-l-ʼAbbás says that the meaning is, † the hyena displays her teeth, because the wolf contends with her over the slain: and some say that the poet means, † the hyena rejoices because of the slain. (TA.)

One says also, ضَحِكَتِ السَّمُرَةُ, meaning † The سمرة [or gum-acacia-tree] flowed with its gum: from ضحكت meaning “she menstruated.” (Bḍ in xi. 74.)

مُضَاحَكَةٌ [inf. n. of ضاحكهُ] signifies [The contending, or vying, in laughing, with another; or the laughing with another; or] the laughing together. (KL.)

[Hence,] one says, النَّوْرُ يُضَاحِكُ الشَّمْسَ † [The flowers vie in brightness with the sun]. (TA.)

And إِنَّ رَأْيَكَ لَيُضَاحِكُ المُشْكِلَاتِ ‡ [Verily thy judgment makes sport with ambiguities]; said to him to whom confused and dubious things are apparent and known. (TA.)

اضحكهُ, (Ṣ, O, Ḳ,) inf. n. إِضْحَاكٌ, (KL,) said of God, (Ṣ, O,) or of a man, (Ḳ,) He made him, or caused him, to laugh. (Ṣ,* O,* Ḳ,* KL, PṢ.)

[Hence,] اضحك الضَّبُعَ, said of blood, (TA,) or of the sword, (O, TA,) † [It made the hyena to display her teeth; or to snarl, displaying her teeth: or to rejoice: (see 1, latter part:) but explained as meaning] ‡ it made the hyena to menstruate. (TA.)

And اضحك الحَوْضَ ‡ He filled the wateringtrough so that it overflowed: (O, TA:) its glistening being likened to laughing. (TA.)

See also 1, near the middle of the paragraph.

تضاحك andتضحّك↓ [are both mentioned in the Ḳ and TA as though syn. with each other and with ضَحِكَ: and accord. to the KL, the former signifies He laughed: but accord. to the TḲ, the latter signifies he manifested laughing: or] the former is syn. with استضحك↓ [app. as meaning he affected to laugh, or laughing: or, more exactly, agreeably with analogy, like the contr. تَبَاكَى and اِسْتَبْكَى, the former signifies thus; and the latter, he desired to laugh]. (Ṣ.)

And you say also, هُمْ يَتَضَاحَكُونَ [meaning They laugh together, one with another]. (Ḳ.)

ضَحْكٌ [originally an inf. n., a contraction of ضَحِكٌ,] The appearance, or appearing, of the central incisors [or of the front teeth] by reason of happiness, joy, or gladness. (TA.)

And hence, (TA,) Wonder. (Ḳ, TA.)

[As an epithet,] A man whose teeth are white. (Aṣ, O, TA.)

[And as a subst., properly so termed,] White front teeth. (Aṣ, O, Ḳ.)

And † Honey: (Ḳ:) or white honey; (Ibn-Es-Seed, TA;) likened to the front teeth because of its intense whiteness: (AA, O, TA:) or honey in its comb; syn. شَهْدٌ. (Ḳ.)

And, (O, Ḳ,) some say, (O,) † Fresh butter. (O, Ḳ.)

And † Snow. (O, Ḳ.)

And † Blossoms, or flowers, or white blossoms or flowers; syn. نَوْرٌ: (O, and so in copies of the Ḳ:) or light; syn. نُورٌ. (So in a copy of the Ḳ.)

And † The طَلْع [or spadix] of the palm-tree when its envelope bursts open from it; (Ṣ,* O,* Ḳ;) in the dial. of Belhárith Ibn-Kaab: (O:) accord. to Th, what is in the interior of the طَلْعَة [here meaning spathe of the palm-tree]: as AA says, the وَلِيعَة, or وَلِيع [thus differently written in two different places in the TA,] of the طَلْع [or spathe of the palm-tree], which is eaten; as alsoضَحَّاكٌ↓. (TA.)

And † The middle of a road; (Ḳ, TA;) and so, accord. to the Ḳ, ضَحَّاكٌ↓; but, correctly, this should have been there mentioned as syn. with ضَحْكٌ in the sense next preceding. (TA.)

ضَحْكَةٌ A single act of ضَحِك [or laughing; i. e. a laugh]. (Ṣ, O.)

[The pl.] ضَحْكَاتٌ signifies ‡ The best of everything: and ضَحْكَاتُ القُلُوبِ, the best of possessions, or wealth, and of children: so says Aboo-Saʼeed. (TA.)

ضُحْكَةٌ A thing, (Lth, TA,) or a man, (Ṣ, O. TA,) that is laughed at, or ridiculed; i. e. يُضْحَكُ مِنْهُ: (Ṣ, O, Ḳ, TA:) an epithet importing more discommendation than ضُحَكَةٌ. (Ḳ.)

See also مَضْحَكٌ.

ضُحَكَةٌ, (Ṣ, O, Mṣb, Ḳ,) an epithet importing discommendation, (Ḳ,) andضُحُكَّةٌ↓, (Ibn-ʼAbbád, O, Ḳ,) andضَحَّاكٌ↓, (Mṣb, Ḳ,) an epithet importing commendation, (TA, [but the contr. is implied, or rather plainly indicated, in the Ḳ,]) andضَحُوكٌ↓, (Ḳ,) andمِضْحَاكٌ↓, (Ṣ, O, Ḳ,) which last is [also] applied to a woman, (Ṣ, O,) One who laughs much (كَثِيرُ الضَّحِكِ). (Ṣ, O, Mṣb, Ḳ.)

ضَحُوكٌ: see ضُحَكَةٌ.

[Also] A man cheerful in countenance. (O.)

And † A wide road: (Ṣ, O:) or ‡ a distinct, an apparent, or a conspicuous, road; as alsoضَحَّاكٌ↓: pl. of the former (in this sense, TA) ضُحْكٌ. (Ḳ, TA.)

ضَاحِكٌ Laughing; [&c.;] (KL;) act. part. n. of ضَحِكَ. (Mṣb, Ḳ.)

Also applied to clouds (سَحَاب), meaning ‡ Appearing, or extending sideways, in the horizon, and lightening. (Ṣ, O, TA.)

[And to the tooth (السِّنّ, used as a gen. n.): thus in the phrase ضَاحِكَ السِّنِّ, meaning † Laughingly, so as to display the teeth.]

See also ضَاحِكَةٌ.

Also, [or perhaps حَجَرٌ ضَاحِكٌ,] ‡ Very white stone appearing in a mountain (IDrd, O, TA.) of any colour, as though laughing. (IDrd, O, TA.)

One says also رَأْىٌ ضَاحِكٌ, meaning ‡ Judgment that is plain, or perspicuous, (TA,) not confused or dubious. (O, TA.)

And, [using ضاحك as a gen. n.,] مَا أَكْثَرَ ضَاحِكَ نَخْلِكُمْ ‡ [How numerous are the bursting spathes of your palm-trees!]. (TA.)

[And an instance of ضَاحِكٌ applied to a woman, without ة, meaning † Menstruating, is cited by Bḍ, in xi. 74.]

ضَاحِكَةٌ, (Ṣ, O, Ḳ,) orضَاحِكٌ↓, (Mṣb,) or both, (Mgh,) ‡ The tooth next behind the نَاب [or canine tooth]; (Mgh, Mṣb;) [i. e. the anterior bicuspid;] any one of the four teeth that are between the أَنْيَاب and the أَضْرَاس: (Ṣ, O, Ḳ:) or any one of the teeth that are in front of the أَضْرَاس that appear on the occasion of laughing: (Ḳ:) pl. ضَوَاحِكُ. (Ṣ, Mgh, O, Mṣb, Ḳ.) أَوضَحُوا بِضَاحِكَةٍ (O, TA,) a phrase occurring in a trad., (O,) means † They smiled. (TA.)

أُضْحُوكَةٌ [A laughable thing;] a thing at which one laughs: (O, Ḳ, TA:) andمَضْحَكَةٌ↓ signifies [in like manner a cause of laughter;] a thing at which one laughs, or which one ridicules: pl. of the former أَضَاحِيكُ. (TA.) [See also مُضْحِكَاتٌ.]

[مَضْحَكٌ lit. A place of laughing: the front teeth; because they appear in laughing; like مَبْسِمٌ: pl. مَضَاحِكُ.] One says, بَدَتْ مَضَاحِكُهُ andضُحْكَتُهُ↓ and [in like manner] مَبَاسِمُهُ † [His front teeth appeared, by his laughing]. (TA.)

مُضْحِكَاتٌ [pl. of مُضْحِكَةٌ] i. q. نَوَادِرُ [as meaning Extraordinary things or sayings, particularly such as cause laughter: see also أُضْحُوكَةٌ]. (TA.)