Classical Arabic - English Dictionary

عَثَا, aor. يَعْثُو, (Ṣ, Mṣb, Ḳ,) inf. n. عُثُوٌّ, (Ḳ, TA,) [accord. to the CK عَثْوٌ, but] like سُمُوٌّ; (TA;) and عَثِىَ, aor. يَعْثَى, (Ṣ, Mṣb, Ḳ,) which is of the dial. of El-Ḥijáz, and of which the inf. n. is عَثًا; (TA;) and عَثَى, aor. يَعْثَى and يَعْثِى; inf. n. عُثِىٌّ and عِثِىٌّ and عَثَيَانٌ; (Ḳ, TA;) He acted corruptly; or made, or did, mischief: (Ṣ, Mṣb, Ḳ:) or did so in the utmost degree: (TA:) فِى الأَرْضِ [in the earth]: (Ṣ, TA:) the aor. of one of the dial. vars. occurs in the Ḳur ii. 57;, &c.: some say that عثا, aor. يعثا, [or عِثَى, aor. يَعْثَى,] is formed by transposition from عَاثَ, aor. يَعِيثُ: (TA:) accord. to Er-Rághib, عَيْثٌ and عُثِىٌّ, or عِثِىٌّ, and عُثُوٌّ are nearly alike; but عَيْثٌ is mostly used in relation to that which is perceived by sense; and عثىّ and عثوّ, in relation to that which is perceived by the [mind or] judgment: some say that عثوّ [as also عثىّ] is the acting wrongfully, injuriously, or unjustly; and sometimes does not involve the acting corruptly: (MF and TA in art. عيث:) Lḥ says that عَثِىَ is of the dial. of El-Ḥijáz, and is the [more] approved form; and عاث is of the dial. of the Benoo-Temeem. (TA in that art.)

And عَثِىَ, aor. يَعْثَى, inf.n. عَثًا, said of the hair of the head, It was, or became, dry and matted, and was long left uncombed. (TA.)

عُثًى Hair: this is its primary signification. (TA.) [See the next paragraph.]

And, metaphorically, ‡ Such as is straggling, of plants, or herbage; as the نَصِىّ, and the بُهْمَى, and the صِلِّيَان. (TA.) And [hence] one says, شَابَ عُثَى الأَرْضِ † The plants, or herbage, of the earth, dried up, or became yellow: (Ḳ:) so in the Tekmileh, and so says ISk. (TA.)

عَثْوَةٌ A long لِمَّة [or quantity of hair descending below the ear or to the shoulder]: (Ḳ:) pl. عُثًى, like رُبًى; (so in some copies of the Ḳ;) or عُثَّى, like رُبَّى; (so in other copies;) or عِثًى; like رِبًى; (so in my MṢ. copy of the Ḳ; [app. taken from the TA; the first of which (i. e. عُثًى) I hold to be the right; (see the paragraph next preceding this;) though SM says what here follows;]) it is correctly عِثى, like إِلى; agreeably with what is said in the M, i. e. that العِثَى signifies اللِّمَمُ الطِّوَالُ. (TA.)

عُثْوَةٌ The state of the hair of the head when it has become dry and matted, and has been long left uncombed. (TA.)

عَاثٍ Acting corruptly; or making, or doing, mischief. (Mṣb. [See 1.])

أَعْثَى Having much hair; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) sometimes applied in this sense to a man. (Ṣ.) And Having a thick beard. (TA.)

And The male hyena; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) as alsoعِثْيَانٌ↓: (Ṣ:) and [the fem.] عَثْوَآءُ the female hyena; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) because of the abundance of her hair: (Ṣ:) and [the pl.] عُثْوٌ, and عُثْىٌ, a number of hyenas together. (TA.)

[The fem.] عَثْوَآءُ is also an appellation applied to An old woman. (Ṣ, TA.)

And the masc. signifies also Thick, gross, or coarse, in size. (TA.)

And Foolish, or stupid, (Ṣ, Ḳ,) heavy, or dull. (Ṣ.)

And One whose colour inclines to blackness. (Ḳ.)

And A colour [itself] that inclines to blackness: (Ḳ, TA:) or, accord. to the M, العثى [perhaps a mistranscription] signifies a colour inclining to blackness, with abundance of hair. (TA.)