Classical Arabic - English Dictionary

عَلْقَمَ, [inf. n. عَلْقَمَةٌ,] said of the colocynth, It attained its utmost degree of bitterness. (Ḥam p. 166.)

عَلْقَمَ طَعَامَهُ, (TA,) inf. n. as above, (Ḳ, TA,) He made his food bitter; (TA;) or put something bitter into it. (Ḳ.)

عَلْقَمٌ A species of bitter tree or plant. (Ṣ, TA.)

And it is applied to, (Ṣ,) or is said to be, (Mṣb, TA,) The colocynth: (Ṣ, Mṣb, Ḳ, TA:) or the pulp of the colocynth: (Az, TA:) or the colocynth when intensely bitter: (Ḥam p. 509:) or, as some say, قِثَّآءُ الحِمَارِ [a name now applied to the elaterium; the wild, or squirting, cucumber]. (Mṣb.) Hence one says of anything in which is intense bitterness, كَأَنَّهُ العَلْقَمُ [As though it were colocynth, or the pulp of colocynth,, &c.]. (Az, TA.)

And Anything bitter. (Ṣ, Mṣb, Ḳ.)

Also A bitter نَبِقَة [or drupe of the species of lotetree called سِدْر]: (Ḳ:) or so عَلْقَمَةٌ↓: mentioned by IAạr. (TA.)

And The bitterest of water: (Ḳ:) or so عَلْقَمَةٌ↓: mentioned by IAạr. (TA.)

عَلْقَمَةٌ Bitterness. (Ḳ. [Originally an inf. n.: see Q. 1.])

And A mixed and turbid state of water. (IDrd, TA.)

See also عَلْقَمٌ, last two sentences.