Classical Arabic - English Dictionary

وَسَطَ القَوْمَ, aor. يَسِطُ, inf. n. وَسْطٌ (Ṣ, Mṣb, Ḳ) [and وُسُوطٌ (as shown below)] and سِطَةٌ, (Ṣ, Ḳ,) He sat, [or was, or became,] in the middle, or midst, of the people, or company of men; (Ḳ;) or among them: (TA;) i. q.توسّطهُمْ↓; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) orتوسّط↓ بَيْنَهُمْ: (Mṣb:) and in like manner, وَسَطَ المَكَانَ [he was, or became, or sat, in the middle, or midst, of the place]: (Mṣb:) and وَسَطَ الشَّىْءَ, andوسّطهُ↓, andتوسّطهُ↓, he was, or became, in the middle, or midst, of the thing: and [in like manner] وُسُوطُ الشَّمْسِ signifiesتَوَسُّطُهَا↓ السَّمَآءَ [The sun's being, or becoming, in the middle, or midst, of the sky]. (M.)

وَسَطَ الشَّىْءَ also signifies He, or it, was, or became, in the best part of the thing, most remote from the two extremes. (TA.) And وَسَطَهُ He alighted, or took up his abode, in, or among, the best, or most generous, thereof. (M.) And وَسَطَ الرَّجُلُ قَوْمَهُ, and فِى قَوْمِهِ, inf. n. وَسَاطَةٌ, The man occupied, or held, a middle place, [meaning the best place, or one of the best places,] among his people, in respect of truth and equity. (Mṣb.) And وَسَطَ قَوْمَهُ فِى الحَسَبِ, aor. يَسِطُ, inf. n. سِطَةٌ, [He held a middle, or good, or the best, rank among his people in regard of grounds of pretension to respect.] (M.) And وَسُطَ فِى حَسَبِهِ, [aor. يَوْسُطُ,] inf. n. وَسَاطَةٌ and سِطَةٌ, [He held a middle, or good, or the best, rank in regard of his grounds of pretension to respect;] (M, TA;) and وَسَطَ signifies the same; (M;) and so doesوسّط↓, (M, TA,) inf. n. تَوْسِيطٌ. (TA.) [See وَسَطٌ, below.]

وسّطهُ, (Ḳ,) inf. n. تَوْسِيطٌ, (Ṣ, Ḳ,) He put it in the middle, or midst. (Ṣ, Ḳ.)

And [so in the Ṣ, but in the Ḳ “or,”] He cut it [in the middle, or midst, i. e.] in two halves. (Ṣ, Ḳ.) [See the pass. part. n., below.]

[In the Ḳur, c. 5,] some read, فَوَسَّطْنَ بِهِ جَمْعًا [which may mean And have put in the midst, thereby, a company of the enemy: or have divided in two halves, thereby,, &c.: or have thereby become in the midst of a company of the enemy]: (Ṣ, TA:) others read فَوَسَطْنَ. (TA.) See 1, first sentence.

وسّط فى حَسَبِهِ: see 1, last sentence.

see 1, first sentence, in four places.

توسّط بَيْنَ النَّاسِ He mediated, or interceded, between the men, or people, for the purpose of accommodation; from وَسَطَ الرَّجُلُ قَوْمَهُ and فِى قَوْمِهِ, explained above; (Mṣb;) or from وَسَاطَةٌ; (Ṣ;) he made mediation, or intercession, (عَمِلَ الوَسَاطَةَ,) between them. (Ḳ.)

توسّط also signifies He took what was of a middle sort, between the good and the bad. (Ḳ.)

وَسْط, with the س quiescent, is an adv. n.; [as such written وَسْطَ, meaning In the middle of: in the midst of; or among;] (Ṣ, M, IB, Mgh, Ḳ;) and it is for this reason that it has its middle letter quiescent, (Ṣ, IB,) like بَيْنَ (IB) with which it is syn.; (IB, Mṣb;) [for] it may be used in any case in which بَيْنَ may be substituted for it; (Ṣ, IAth, Ḳ;) and, like بَيْنَ, it does not denote a part of the thing denoted by the noun to which it is prefixed, wherein differing from وَسَط↓. (Ṣ, IB, Ḳ.) You say, جَلَسْتُ وَسْطَ القَوْمِ (Ṣ, IB, Mṣb) I sat [in the middle of, or in the midst of,] or among, the people, or company of men, (IB, Mṣb;) not being one of them. (IB.) And وَسْطَ رَأْسِهِ دُهْنٌ [In the middle of his head is oil]; not meaning a component part of the head. (IB.) And it is said in a trad. الجَالِسُ وَسْطَ الحَلْقَةِ مَلْعُونٌ [The sitter in the midst of the ring is cursed]: for he must of necessity turn his back towards some of those who surround him, and so displease them; wherefore they curse him and revile him. (IAth.)

It may not [properly] be used as a decl. n., (IB,) i. e. as an inchoative, (Mgh,) nor as an agent, nor as an objective complement; (IB, Mgh), &c.; thus, also, differing from وَسَط↓; unless it have the adverbial particle [فِى] prefixed to it; in which case it has the sense of وَسَط, and you say, جَلَسْتُ فِى وَسْطِ القَوْمِ and فى وَسْطِ رَأْسِهِ دُهْنٌ [like as you say جَلَسْتُ وَسْطَ القَوْمِ and وَسْطَ رَأْسِهِ دُهنٌ, explained above]: and sometimes it is used as a subst., preserving the quiescence [and the adverbial form], like as بَيْنَ is used as a subst. though virtually an adv. n., in cases like that where it is said in the Ḳur, [vi. 94,] لَقَدْ تَقَطَّعَ بَيْنَكُمْ [meaning مَا بَيْنَكُمْ, or, as explained in the Expos. of the Jel., وَصْلُكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ]: (IB:) or وَسْط is sometimes used forوَسَط↓, improperly; (Ṣ;) or it may be so used; (Mṣb;) or it is so used by poetic license; (M;) or, as some say, each of them may take the place of the other; and this seems the most likely: (IAth:) or one says وَسْط, with sukoon, only, of that whereof the component parts are separate, or distinct, (IAth, Ḳ *,) such as a number of men, and beasts of carriage, &c.; (IAth;) andوَسَط↓, (IAth,) or both, (Ḳ,) of that whereof the component parts are united, (IAth, Ḳ *,) such as a house, and the head, (IAth,) or such as a ring: (Ḳ:) it is related, as on the authority of Th, that وَسَطُ↓ الشَّىْءِ and وسْطُهُ [both meaning The middle, or midst, of the thing] are said when the thing is solid; but when its component parts are separate, or distinct, the word is وَسْطٌ, with sukoon, exclusively. (M.)

وَسَطٌ [The middle, midst, or middle part, of a thing; i. e.,] properly, the part of which several lateral, or outer, portions are equal; as, for instance, the middle finger: but also meaning the part which is surrounded, or enclosed, on its several sides, although unequally: (Mṣb:) or the part that is between the two sides or extremities of a thing; (M, IB, Mgh, Ḳ;) [or the part, or point, that is between every two opposite extremities of a thing; and properly when equidistant;] as, for instance, the centre of a circle: (Mgh:) as alsoأَوْسَطُ↓, (M, Ḳ,) which is [likewise] a subst., like أَفْكَلٌ and أَزْمَلٌ [but imperfectly decl. because originally an epithet]: (M:) وَسَطٌ has its middle letter with fet-ḥ in order that it may agree in measure with its contr., which is طَرَفٌ; the like agreement being frequent: (IB:) and it is only used in cases in which بَيْنَ may not be substituted for it, herein [and in other respects, mentioned in the next preceding paragraph,] differing from وَسْط: (Ṣ, IB, Ḳ:) [respecting the similar and dissimilar usages of وَسَط and وَسّط, sufficient observations have been made in the next preceding paragraph, which see throughout, and more especially in its latter part:] the pl. of وَسَطٌ is أَوْسَاطٌ; and that of its syn. أَوْسَطُ↓ is أَوَاسِطُ; or this may be a pl. ofوَاسِطٌ↓, and originally وَوَاسِطُ. (M.) You say, جَلَسْتُ فِى وَسَطِ الدَّارِ [I sat in the middle, or middle part, of the house]; (Ṣ, Mgh, Mṣb;) because وَسَط is a subst. (Ṣ.) And إِتَّسَعَ وَسَطُهُ [The middle, or middle part, thereof, became wide]. (Mgh, Mṣb.) And ضَرَبْتُ وَسَطَ رَأْسِهِ [I smote the middle, or middle part, of his head]. (Mgh,* Mṣb.) And كَسَرْتُ وَسَطَ الرُّمْحِ [I broke the middle, or middle part, of the spear]. (IB.) And وَسَطُهُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ طَرَفِهِ [The middle, or middle part, thereof is better than the extremity]. (Mgh, Mṣb.) And خَيَرُ الأُمُورِ أَوْسَاطُهَا The best of affairs, or actions, or cases, are such of them as are between two extremes. (M. [See R. Q. 1, in art. حق.]) It is sometimes put in the accus. case as an adv. n.; as in the saying, جَلَسْتُ وَسَطَ الدَّارِ; but this is an instance of departure from the original usage; and [the meaning is جَلَسْتُ فِى وَسَطِ الدَّارِ signifying as explained above; so that] it is not here syn. with بَيْنَ, like as وَسْطَ is. (IB.)

It is also used as an epithet: (IB, Mgh:) [as such signifying Middle; intermediate; midway, or equidistant, between the two extremities or extremes; in place, or position: but in this sense superseded in usage by أَوْسَطُ↓ andوَاسِطٌ↓ andمُتَوَسِّطٌ↓: and in time; but in this sense also superseded in usage byأَوْسَطُ↓:] middling; of middle sort, kind, or rate; (Mṣb;) as alsoأَوْسَطُ↓ (Ṣ,* M, Mgh, Mṣb, Ḳ) andمُتَوَسِّطٌ↓ (M, Mgh, Mṣb) andوَسُوطٌ↓ (M, TA) [andوَسِيطٌ↓]; between good and bad; (Mṣb, TA;) as alsoأَوْسَطُ↓: (Mṣb:) conforming, or conformable, to the just mean; just; equitable: (Zj, Ṣ, Ḳ:) good; (Zj, M, Mṣb, Ḳ;) as alsoوَسِيطٌ↓: (M:) most conforming, or conformable, to the just mean; most just; most equitable; applied to what is so of a thing; (Ṣ, M, Ḳ;) whatever it be; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) as alsoأَوْسَطَ↓: (M:) best; (Mṣb;) as alsoأَوْسَطُ↓: (Ṣ,* Mṣb, Ḳ *:) most generous: (M:) and when used as an epithet, it is applied alike to a masc., fem., sing., dual, and pl., subst.: (Mgh:) the fem. ofأَوْسَطُ↓ is وُسْطَى; (Mgh, Mṣb;) and the pl. masc. أَوَاسِطُ; and pl. fem. وُسَطٌ. (Mṣb.) Hence, (Mṣb,)الإِصْبَعُ الوُسْطَى↓ (Ṣ, Mṣb, Ḳ) The middle finger. (Mṣb.) Andاليَوْمُ الأَوْسَطُ↓ [The middle day]. (Mṣb.) Andاللَّيْلَةُ الوُسْطَى↓ [The middle night]. (Mṣb.) Andالعَشَرَةُ الأَوَاسِطُ↓, meaning The [ten middle] days. (Mṣb.) Andالعَشْرُ الوُسَطُ↓, meaning The [ten middle] nights: notالعَشْرُ الأَوْسَطُ↓; for this is a vulgar mistake, into which relaters of traditions have fallen; or it may be a mistake of transcription. (Mṣb.) Andالصَّلٰوةُ الوُسْطَى↓, (M, Mgh, &c.,) mentioned in the Ḳur, [ii. 239,] (M, Ḳ,) meaning The middle prayer (Bḍ, TA) between the other prayers, (Bḍ,) or between the prayers of the night and the day; (TA;) or the most excellent of them in particular: (Bḍ:) i. e. the prayer of the afternoon; (ʼAlee Ibn-Abee-Tálib, I’Ab, and others, Mgh, Bḍ, Ḳ;) because the prophet said, on the day of the Ahzáb, “they have diverted us from الصلوة الوسطى, the prayer of the afternoon:” (Bḍ:) or the prayer of daybreak; (also said to be on the authority of ʼAlee, Mgh, Bḍ, Ḳ;) because it is between the prayers of the night and the day; (Bḍ;) for the saying of the prophet mentioned above does not contravene this and other assertions, since what is meant in the trad. is not what is meant in the Ḳur: (Ḳ:) or, (M, Ḳ,) accord. to Abu-l-Ḥasan, (M,) the prayer of Friday; (M, Ḳ;) because it is the most excellent of the prayers; (M;) and he who says otherwise errs, unless he trace up the assertion to the prophet: (M, Ḳ:) these three opinions are of the strongest authority; (B;) and the first is that which commonly obtains: (Mgh:) or the prayer of noon; (Mgh, Bḍ, Mṣb, Ḳ;) because it is in the middle of the day: (Bḍ:) or the prayer of Friday on the day thereof; but on other days the prayer of noon: (Ḳ, and also said to be on the authority of 'Alec:) or the prayer of sunset: (Mgh, Bḍ, Ḳ:) or the prayer of nightfall: (Bḍ, Ḳ:) or [the night-prayer called] الوِتْر: (Ḳ:) or the prayer of the breaking of the fast: (Ḳ:) or the prayer of sacrifices: (Ḳ:) or the prayer of the period called the ضُحَى: (Ḳ:) or the prayer of the congregation: (Ḳ:) or the prayer of fear: (Ḳ:) or the prayers of nightfall and daybreak together: (Ḳ, and said to be on the authorities of ʼOmar and ʼOthmán:) or the prayers of daybreak and the afternoon together: (Ḳ:) or any of the five prayers; because before it are two prayers and after it are two prayers: (Ḳ:) or all the divinely-appointed prayers: (Ḳ:) or certain prayers not particularized: (Ḳ:) or prayer of middling length, between long and short. (Ḳ.) Hence also, شَىْءٌ وَسَطٌ A middling thing; a thing of middle sort or kind; (Mṣb;) between good and bad; (Ṣ, Mṣb;) as alsoأَوْسَطُ↓: (Mṣb:) and in like manner it is applied to a male slave, and a female slave, (Mṣb,) and two male slaves, and two sheep or goats. (Mgh.) Andمِنْ أَوْسَطِ↓ مَا تُطْعِمُونَ أَهْلِيكُمْ, in the Ḳur, [v. 91,] Of the middle sort of that which ye give for food to your families, (Mgh, Mṣb,) between what is prodigal and what is niggardly. (Mgh.) Andالنَّمَطُ الأَوْسَطُ↓ The middle class of men: occurring in a saying of ʼAlee, cited in full in art. غط. (M.) Andعَلِّمْنِى دِينًا وَسُوطا↓ Teach thou to me a religion of the middle sort: occurring in a saying of an Arab of the desert to El-Ḥasan, cited in full voce فَرَطَ. (M, TA.) And جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أَمَّةً وَسَطًا, in the Ḳur, [ii. 137,] (Ṣ, Mgh, Mṣb,) [We have made you to be a nation] conforming, or conformable, to the just mean; just; equitable: (Zj, Ṣ, IB, Bḍ, Ḳ:) or good. (Zj, Bḍ, Mṣb, Ḳ.) And مَرْعًى وَسَطٌ Choice pasturage. (M.) And رَجُلٌ وَسَطٌ A good man; as alsoوَسِيطٌ↓: (M:) or a man having good grounds of pretension to respect. (TA.) Andفُلَانٌ وَسِيطٌ↓ فِى قَوْمِهِ, (Ṣ, Ḳ *,) or بَيْنَهُمْ, (as in some copies of the Ḳ,) Such a one is the best of his people (أَوْسَطُهُمْ↓) in race, and the highest of them in station. (Ṣ, Ḳ.) Andفُلَانٌ وَسِيطُ↓ الدَّارِ وَالحَسَبِ [Such a one is of good quality, or of the best quality, in respect of tribe, and of grounds of pretension to honour]. (Lth.) And هُوَ مِنْ وَسَطِ قَوْمِهِ, andمن أَوْسَطِهِمْ↓, He is of the best of his people. (Mṣb.) And in like manner, هُوَ مِنْ وَسَطِ الشَّىْءِ, andمن أَوْسَطِهِ↓, It is of the best of the thing. (Mṣb.) Andقَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ↓ in the Ḳur, lxviii. 28, The best of them said: (Jel:) or the most rightly directed, of them, to the truth: (Mṣb:) or it meansأَوْسَطُهُمْ↓ رَأْيًا [the most remote, of them, from either extreme, in judgment]; or سِنًّا [in age]. (Bḍ.)

وَسِيطٌ: see وَسَطٌ, as an epithet, in five places.

A mediator, or an intercessor, for the purpose of accommodation, (O, Ḳ,) between people, (O,) or between two persons engaged in mutual altercation or litigation. (Ḳ.)

وَسَاطَةٌ [originally an inf. n.: (see 1:)]

[and hence, as a subst., Mediation, or intercession]. (Ṣ, Ḳ: see 5.)

وَسَاطَةُ الدَّنَانِيرِ The best of deenárs. (TA.)

[وَسِيطَةٌ A mean, or means: pl. وَسَائِطُ.]

وَاسِطٌ: see وَسَطٌ, as a subst., and also as an epithet.

وَاسِطُ الكُورِ, (Lth, Ṣ, Ḳ,) or الرَّحْلِ, (ISh, Az, M,) andوَاسِطَتُهُ↓, (Lth, M, Ḳ,) andمَوْسِطَتُهُ↓, (Lḥ, M, [or perhapsمُوسِطَتُهُ↓, corresponding toمُؤْخِرَتُهُ↓,]) The fore-part of the camel's saddle: (Ṣ, Ḳ:) accord. to Lth, (Az, TA,) the part, of the camel's saddle, which is between the تَادِمَة and the آخِرَة; (Az, M, L;) but this is a mistake; (Az, L;) for the واسط of the camel's saddle is one of the شَرْخَانِ, (ISh, Az, L,) which are its two extremities, [or upright pieces of wood,] like the قَرَبُوسُانِ of the horse's saddle, (Az, L,) between which the rider sits; (ISh, Az, L;) it is the extremity which is next to the head of the camel; (Az, L;) the tall forepart next to the breast of the rider, (ISh, Az, L,) against which the breast of the rider sometimes strikes; (TA, in art. نحز;) the آخِرةَ being the extremity which is next to the tail of the camel; (Az, L;) the hinder part of the saddle, which is its tall and broad piece of wood that is against (تُحَاذِى) the head of the rider: (ISh, Az, L:) the former of these is not called واسط as being a middle part between the آخرة and the قادمة, as Lth says; nor has the camel's saddle any [part called] قادمة. (Az, L.)

الوَاسِطُ also signifies The piece of wood that is in the middle, between the two pieces called the عِضَادَتَانِ, in the yoke that is upon the neck of a bull which draws a cart or the like. (L in art. عضذ.)

وَاسِطَةٌ The jewel that is in the middle of a قِلَادَة [or necklace], which is the best thereof; (Ṣ;) the large pearl (دُرَّة) that is in the middle thereof, which is the most precious of the beads thereof. (L.)

[In modern Arabic, A means of doing a thing. You say, بِوَاسِطَةِ كَذَا By means of such a thing.]

[Also, An intermediary, interposer, or agent between parties; a go-between.]

See also وَاسِطٌ.

هُوَ فِى وَاسِطَةٍ مِنَ العَيْشِ † He is in a good condition of life. (Er-Rághib, TA, in art. حف.)

أَوْسَطُ; fem. وُسْطَى; pl. masc. أَوَاسِطُ; pl. fem. وُسَطٌ: see وَسَطٌ, as a subst., in two places; and as an epithet, throughout.

مُوسَطٌ What is in the middle of a بَيْت [i. e. house, or tent, &c.], particularly. (Ibn-ʼAbbád, Ḳ.)

قَتَلَ فُلَانًا مُوَسَّطًا He slew such a one cut [in the middle, or midst,] in two halves. (TA.) [This mode of slaughter, termed تَوْسِيطٌ, was often practised under the rule of the Egyptian Sultáns; many instances thereof being mentioned by El-Makreezee and other historians. See De Sacy's Chrest. Ar., 2nd ed., vol. i. p. 468.]