aṣwab

pertinent, apropos

أَصْوَب

Word

Adjective · pattern أَفْعَل

Root

ص و ب

In the library

إذا بدهك أمران لا تدري أيهما أصوب, فانظر أيهما أقرب إلى هواك, فخالفه، فإن أكثر الصواب في خلاف الهوى.

The Small and the Great Book of Manners, page 118 →

From the same root

All words from ص و ب →

Lane's Lexicon

Arabic–English, 1863–93 · 12 entries
  • صَابَ Form I It poured forth
    , (S, M, A,) [aor. يَصُوبُ,] inf. n. صَوْبٌ (S, M, A, K) and مَصَابٌ, (Har p. 240,) said of rain, (S, M, A, *) It poured forth; (M, A, K;) as also ↓ انصاب: (M, K:) or it descended; and ↓ تصوّب signifies the like. (S.) A poet says, " فَسَقَى دِيَارَكَ غَيْرَ مُفْسِدِهَا صَوْبُ الرَّبِيعِ وَدِيمَةٌ تَهْمِى " which may mean, [And may] the descending of the rain called the ربيع [and continuous rain, or continuous and still rain, pouring forth, water thy districts, not injuring them]: or it may mean, [may] the rain of the season called the ربيع [&c.]: so says IHsh. (MF, TA.) And one says of a calamity (شِدَّة), on the occasion of its befalling, صَابَتْ بِقُرٍّ, meaning It became [or fell] in its قَرَار [or settled or fixed place, or in the place where it should remain]. (S, TA. [See also art. قر.]) ― -b2- And صاب, aor. as above, (M, TA,) inf. n. صَوْبٌ, (K, TA,) It, or he, came from a high place; (K, TA;) descended from above; (M, TA;) as also ↓ تصوّب: (K, TA:) and (TA) it, or he, descended; went down, downwards, down a declivity, or from a higher to a lower place or position; or it sloped down; syn. اِنْحَدَرَ; and so ↓ تصوّب. (M, TA. [See also 4, first sentence; and see 2, last sentence.]) ― -b3- [Hence, app.,] صَابُوا بِهِمْ They fell upon them, or assaulted them: and agreeably with this meaning is expl. the saying of the Hudhalee, " صَابُوا بِسِتَّةِ أَبْيَاتٍ وَأَرْبَعَةٍ حَتَّى كَأَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ جَابِيأًا لُبَدَا " meaning [They fell upon, or assaulted, six tents, or dwellings, and four; so that it was as though there were upon them] numerous locusts. (TA.) -A2- صَوْبٌ [app. meaning صَوْبُ مَطَرٍ] signifies also The sky's bringing rain. (A, K.) ― -b2- And The pouring forth (A, K, TA) of water [&c.]. (TA.) One says, صاب المَآءَ He poured forth the water; as also ↓ صوّبهُ. (M, TA.) -A3- صاب as syn. with أَصَابَ: see the latter in eight places.
  • صَوَّبَ Form II I sent forth, or started, or let go, the horse in running
    see above, last sentence but one. ― -b2- [Hence, app.,] صَوَّبْتُ الفَرَسَ (assumed tropical:) I sent forth, or started, or let go, the horse in running. (S, TA.) ― -b3- And تَصْوِيبٌ is the contr. of تَصْعِيدٌ [generally in a trans. sense (though also in an intrans. sense as will be seen below); i. e. it signifies The making to descend]. (M, TA.) One says, صوّب رَأْسَهُ He lowered, or depressed, his head. (S, A, Mgh, Msb, K.) And صَوَّبَ ٱللّٰهُ رَأْسَهُ (tropical:) [May God degrade him; lit.] may God lower, or depress, his head. (TA.) It is said in a trad., مَنْ قَطَعَ سِدْرَةً صَوَّبَ ٱللّٰهُ رَأْسَهُ فِى النَّارِ, which, accord. to Aboo-Dáwood Es-Sijistánee, is abridged, and means, Whoso cuts down, or lops, a سدرة [which is a species of lote-tree], in a desert, by the shade whereof the traveller shelters himself, without just cause, God will, or may God, lower his head [in the fire of Hell]. (L, TA.) And one says, صوّب يَدَهُ He lowered, or depressed, his hand, or arm. (L, TA.) And صوّب الإِنَآءَ He inclined the vessel (Mgh, Msb) downwards, in order that what was in it might run [out]: (Mgh:) or he lowered, or depressed, the vessel; and in like manner, رَأْسَ الخَشَبَةِ [the head of the piece of wood]. (T, TA.) -A2- And صوّب إِلَيْهِ يَصَرَهُ [He directed his sight towards him]. (Msb in art. لمح. [From الصَّوَابُ.]) And صَعَّدَ فِىَّ النَّظَرَ وَصَوَّبَهُ: see art. صعد. ― -b2- And صَوَّبْتُ قَوْلَهُ (assumed tropical:) I said that his saying was صَوَاب [i. e. right; or I pronounced his saying to be right]. (Msb.) And صوّب رَأْيَهُ (tropical:) [He pronounced his opinion to be right]. (A.) And صوّبهُ (assumed tropical:) He said to him أَصَبْتَ [Thou hast hit the right thing; or said, or done, right]. (S, K.) You say, إِنْ أَخْطَأْتُ فَخَطِّيأْنِى وَإِنْ أَصَبْتُ فَصَوِّبْنِى (tropical:) [If I do, or say, wrong, tell me that I have done so; and if I do, or say, right, tell me that I have done so]. (A, TA.) -A3- [تَصْوِيبٌ is also the contr. of تَصْعِيدٌ in an intrans. sense as well as in the trans. sense mentioned above:] one says, طَالَ فِى الأَرْضِ تَصْوِيبِى وَتَصْعِيدِى [Long have continued my descending, or going down, and my ascending, or going up, in the land]. (A in art. صعد.)
  • اصاب Form IV He descended, or went down, into a lower land, or country; contr. of أَصْعَدَ
    , (M, TA,) inf. n. إِصَابَةٌ, (M, K, TA,) He descended, or went down, into a lower land, or country; contr. of أَصْعَدَ. (M, K, * TA. [See also 1 as syn. with 5; and see 2, last sentence.]) -A2- اصاب القِرْطَاسَ, [inf. n. as above,] said of an arrow, [It hit, or struck, the butt, or target; or went right thereto;] (S, TA;) and ↓ صَابَهُ, (S, TA,) or صاب الهَدَفَ, (M,) aor. يَصِيبُهُ, (S, M,) inf. n. صَيْبٌ, (S, TA,) likewise said of an arrow, (S, M, TA,) signifies the same; (S, TA;) or صاب said of an arrow is intrans. (M.) And اصاب alone, [as though used elliptically,] (Msb, TA,) inf. n. as above; (Msb, K;) and ↓ صاب, aor. يَصُوبُ, (S, Msb,) inf. n. صَيْبُوبَةٌ, (S,) or صَوْبٌ; (Msb, K;) and ↓ صاب, aor. يَصِيبُ, inf. n. صَيْبٌ; (Msb;) likewise said of an arrow, (S, Msb,) It went right; did not deviate from the right course: (S, K, * TA:) or it reached [or hit] the object of aim. (Msb.) And نَحْوَ الرِّمِيَّةِ ↓ صاب, (M, A, TA,) aor. يَصُوبُ, (A, TA,) inf. n. صَوْبٌ and صَيْبُوبَةٌ, (M, TA,) said of an arrow, (M, A, TA,) It went right towards the thing, or animal, shot at; (M, TA;) as also اصاب. (TA.) ― -b2- Also اصاب القِرْطَاسَ, (S, TA,) and اصاب فِى القِرْطَاسِ, (TA,) [said of a man, as is indicated by the context in the S and TA, He hit the butt, or target;] he did not miss the butt, or target. (TA.) And اصاب alone is said of an archer or the like [as meaning He hit the object of his aim]: (Msb:) one says, رَمَى فَأَصَابَ [He shot, or cast, and hit the object of his aim]. (A.) ― -b3- [Hence, likening an event, &c., to an arrow,] one says also, اصابهُ أَمْرٌ, inf. n. as above, (assumed tropical:) [An event smote him, or befell him;] and ↓ صابهُ, aor. يَصُوبُهُ, inf. n. صَوْبٌ, signifies the same. (Msb.) And أَصَابَتْهُ مُصِيبَةٌ (assumed tropical:) [An affliction, or a calamity, &c., smote him, or befell him]. (S.) And اصابهُ الشَّىْءُ (assumed tropical:) The thing reached him [so as to take effect upon him]: (Mgh, * Msb:) whence the saying, أَصَابَهُ مِنْ قَوْلِ النَّاسِ مَا أَصَابَهُ (assumed tropical:) [There reached him &c., of the sayings of the people, what reached him &c.]. (Msb.) [Thus tropically used, اصابهُ may generally be rendered It hit, struck, smote, wounded, hurt, affected, assailed, or befell, him. One says, اصابهُ مَرَضٌ, and وَجَعٌ, and اصابتهُ رِيحٌ, &c., (assumed tropical:) A disease, and pain, and wind, &c., smote, affected, or assailed, him.] And المَطَرُ ↓ صَابَهُ, (S, Msb,) aor. يَصُوبُهُ, inf. n. صَوْبٌ, (Msb,) (assumed tropical:) [The rain fell, or lighted, upon him, or it; wetted him, or it;] he, or it, was rained upon. (S.) And السَّمَآءُ الأَرْضَ ↓ صَابَتِ i. e. (assumed tropical:) [The sky, or clouds, or rain,] watered the earth, or land, copiously: (Lth, M, TA:) or it means أَصَابَتْهَا بِصَوْبٍ [it smote it with rain; or sent rain upon it]. (M, L, TA.) In the following verse, cited by IAar, " فَكَيْفَ تُرَجِّى العاذِلَاتُ تَجَلُّدِى حَمِيمُهَا ↓ وَصَبْرِى إِذَا مَا النَّفْسُ صِيبَ " he explains صِيبَ as being like قُصِدَ, and says that it may be of the dial. of him who says صَابَ السَّهْمُ; but [ISd remarks,] I know not how this is, for صَابَ السَّهْمُ is not trans.; [though, as shown above, he has mentioned it as being trans.;] and in my opinion, [he says,] صيب here is from the phrase صَابَتِ السَّمَآءُ الأَرْضَ [expl. above; the meaning of the verse being, But how should the censuring women hope for my constraining myself to behave with hardiness, and for my being patient, when the beloved of the soul has been smitten by death, or by the decree of death; for ISd adds,] كَأَنَّ المَنِيَّةَ صَابَتِ الحَمِيمَ فَأَصَابَتْهُ بِصَوْبِهَا. (M, TA. *) ― -b4- [اصاب is also used in many phrases in which its agent is likened to an archer.] One says, اصاب الصَّوَابَ (tropical:) [He hit the right thing or point, or the object, or aim, of his words or of his actions]: (A:) and اصاب السَّدَادَ [which means the same]. (S in art. سد.) And اصاب alone [means thus likewise; or] (assumed tropical:) he said, or did, that which was right. (M, K. *) And اصاب فِى قَوْلِهِ وَفِعْلِهِ (assumed tropical:) He hit the right thing in his saying and his deed; (Msb;) and so فِى رَأْيِهِ in his opinion; contr. of أَخْطَأَ. (A.) And اصاب بِغْيَتَهُ (assumed tropical:) He attained, or obtained, the thing that he sought, or wanted: whence the saying, اصاب مِنْ زَوْجَتِهِ [and so app. أَصَابَهَا (see سَفَقَ)] (assumed tropical:) He obtained his desired enjoyment of his wife: (Msb:) اصاب مِنِّى occurs in a trad., [as a euphemism,] said by the wife of Handhaleh, meaning (assumed tropical:) He compressed me: (Mgh:) and it is said in a trad., كَانَ يُصِيبُ مِنْ رَأْسِ بَعْضِ نِسَايأِهِ وَهُوَ صَايأِمٌ, meaning (assumed tropical:) He used to kiss [the head of some one or more of his wives when he was fasting]. (TA: and the like is said in the Mgh.) And اصاب مِنَ المَالِ وَغَيْرِهِ (assumed tropical:) He took, or took with his hand, of the property and other things. (TA.) And اصاب الشَّىْءَ (tropical:) [He hit upon, or lighted on, the thing;] he found the thing. (S, M, K, * TA.) And اصابهُ [(assumed tropical:) He found it, met with it, or experienced it; namely, a good or an evil event. And (assumed tropical:) He found it out, or discovered it; namely, an enigma (see 8 in art. حجو) or the like. And] (assumed tropical:) He found it to be right: and (assumed tropical:) he saw it, considered it, or held it, to be right. (TA. [See also 10.]) And (assumed tropical:) He aimed at it; (As, TA;) (tropical:) he desired, wished, willed, intended, or meant, it. (As, M, A, Msb, TA.) One says, أَصَابَ فُلَانٌ الصَّوَابَ فَأَخْطَأَ الجَوَابَ (assumed tropical:) Such a one aimed at, and desired, [to say] that which was right, (As, Msb, * TA,) and failed of giving rightly the reply. (As, TA.) And أَيْنَ تُصِيبَانِ (assumed tropical:) [Whither do ye two desire to go?]; a saying of Ru-beh. (TA.) تَجْرِى بِأَمْرِهِ رُخَآءً حَيْثُ أَصَابَ, in the Kur [xxxviii. 35, referring to the wind], has been expl. as meaning (assumed tropical:) [Running by his command softly, or gently,] whithersoever He desireth. (M, * TA.) And اصاب ٱللّٰهُ الَّذِى أَرَادَ, said in a trad., in reply to a question respecting the interpretation of a text, means (assumed tropical:) God desireth, or meaneth, [thereby,] what He desireth, or meaneth. (TA.) And اصاب ٱللّٰهُ بِكَ خَيْرًا means أَرَادَهُ (tropical:) [i. e. May God intend thee good]. (A.) And اصاب alone (assumed tropical:) He desired, or intended, or meant, that which was right. (M, K. *) One says also, اصابهُ بِخَيْرٍ (assumed tropical:) [meaning He did good to him]. (El-Muärrij, TA in art. اسو.) [But] اصابهُ بِكَذَا, (M,) inf. n. إِصَابَةٌ, (K,) with which are syn. ↓ مُصَابٌ [in accordance with a usage generally allowable] (S, TA) and ↓ مُصَابَةٌ, (K, TA,) (assumed tropical:) [generally] means He afflicted him with, or by, such a thing; or gave pain to him thereby. (M, K: * in the latter, only the inf. n. of the verb in this sense; and so in other senses.) [Thus one says, اصابهُ بِشَرٍّ (assumed tropical:) He afflicted him with evil; or did evil to him: and اصابهُ بِمَكْرُوهٍ (assumed tropical:) He afflicted him with, or did to him, an abominable, or an evil, thing or action: and اصابهُ بِقَوْلٍ قَبِيحٍ (assumed tropical:) He afflicted him with, or said to him, a foul saying: and اصابهُ بِذَحْلٍ (assumed tropical:) He punished him by blood-revenge: and اصابهُ بِمَرَضٍ (assumed tropical:) He, (i. e. God,) or it, (a thing,) affected him with disease; or rendered him diseased: and in many similar cases, the phrase may be well rendered with a verb derived from the noun; like phrases in which “ affecit ” (a Latin equivalent of اصاب) occurs; as in “ honore affecit, ” meaning “ honoravit. ”] El-Hárith Ibn-Khuld El-Makhzoomee says, " رَجُلًا↓أَظُلَيْمُ إِنَّ مُصَابَكُمْ أَهْدَى السَّلَامَ تَحِيَّةً ظُلْمُ " (assumed tropical:) [O Dhuleymeh, verily your afflicting a man who has given the salutation of peace, greeting, is tyranny]: IB says that this verse is not of El- 'Arjee, as El-Hareeree imagined it to be: the correct reading is أَظُلَيْمُ, as above: ظليم is an apocopated from of ظُلَيْمَةُ; which is the dim. of ظَلُوم: some read أَظَلُومُ: and some, أَسُلَيْمُ: [the verse is cited accord. to this last reading in the S:] رَجُلًا is governed in the accus. case by مُصَاب [as an inf. n.]: and ظُلْمُ is the enunciative of إِنَّ. (L, TA.) أَصَابَهُمُ الدَّهْرُ بِنُفُوسِهِمْ وَأَمْوَالِهِمْ (assumed tropical:) means Time, or fate, afflicted them by destruction, or extirpation, among themselves and their cattle, or possessions. (M.) [In the K, الإِصَابةُ is expl. as signifying الاِحْتِيَاجُ: but the right reading is evidently الاِجْتِيَاحُ, as Ibr D has remarked in the margin of my copy of the TA; so that اصاب signifies (assumed tropical:) He destroyed, or extirpated; agreeably with an explanation in the sentence next preceding above, from the M.] مَنْ يُرِدِ ٱللّٰهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُصِبْ مِنْهُ, (assumed tropical:) occurring in a trad., means Him whom God intendeth good He trieth with afflictions, that He may recompense him for them. (TA.) And one says, مَا كُنْتُ مُصَابًا وَلَقَدْ أُصِبْتُ (assumed tropical:) [app. meaning I was not affected with weakness of intellect, or madness, and I have become affected therewith: see مُصَابٌ, below]. (IAar, TA.)
  • تصوّب Form V It was, or became, lowered, or depressed
    [quasi-pass. of 2]: see 1, in three places. ― -b2- Also It was, or became, lowered, or depressed; syn. تَسَفَّلَ. (A.)
  • تصاوب Form VI He, or it, was well directed
    , accord. to Freytag, signifies He, or it, was well directed: but for this he names no authority.]
  • إِنْصَوَبَ Form VII Open entry
    see 1, first sentence.
  • 10 Form X He saw it, considered it, or held it, to be right
    signify the same, (S, M, A, Msb, K,) (tropical:) He saw it, considered it, or held it, to be right; (M, Msb, TA;) namely, his deed, (S, Msb,) or his opinion, (M, TA,) or his saying: (A:) Th says, اِسْتَصَبْتُهُ is the regular form; but the Arabs say, اِسْتَصْوَبْتُ رَأْيَكَ. (M, TA. [See also 4, latter half.])
  • صَابٌ A certain species of tree, from which, when it is pressed, there issues what resembles milk, a drop of which...
    A certain species of tree, from which, when it is pressed, there issues what resembles milk, a drop of which sometimes spirts into the eye, producing an effect like that of a flame of fire, and in some instances weakening the sight: (M, TA:) or a certain kind of bitter tree; (As, T, M, K, TA;) one of which is termed ↓ صَابَةٌ: (M, K: * [in the latter it is said that صَابٌ is the pl. of صَابَةٌ; but properly speaking, the former is a coll. gen. n., and the latter is its n. un.:]) or the expressed juice of a kind of bitter tree: (S:) but accord. to the K, this is a mistake, though it is the saying of leading lexicologists: (TA:) or, as some say, the expressed juice of the صَبِر [or aloes]. (M.)
  • صَوْبٌ Rain
    an inf. n. used as a subst. (Msb) meaning Rain; (Lth, Msb;) and so ↓ صَيِّبٌ, which is originally [صَيْوِبٌ, i. e.] of the measure فَيْعِلٌ from الصَّوْبُ: (Bd in ii. 18:) or صَيِّبٌ is an epithet applied to clouds (غَيْمٌ, Sh, O, or سَحَابٌ, S, Msb) meaning having rain, (O,) i. q. ذُو صَوْبٍ: (S, Msb:) or صَوْبٌ and ↓ صَيِّبٌ and ↓ صَيُّوبٌ [the last of which is written in the CK صَيُوبٌ] all signify the same, (M, K,) as epithets applied to rain, meaning pouring forth: (M:) or ↓ صَيُّوبٌ, which is originally of the measure فَيْعُولٌ, [being altered from صَيْوُوبٌ,] means rain pouring forth much, or abundantly: (IDrd, O:) [↓ صَايأِبٌ, also, is applied as an epithet to rain, like صَوْبٌ and صَيِّبٌ; and] in the phrase صِيبَانُ المَطَرِ, accord. to Abu-l-'Alà, صِيبَان is pl. of صَايأِب; or it may be an inf. n., like حِرْمَان: and if one say ↓ صَيْبَان, with fet-h, the meaning is, what has poured forth of rain, notwithstanding the ى in it, for similar to this are رَيْحَان from الرَّوْح and عَيْدَان (meaning “ tall ” palm-trees) from العُوْد. (Ham p. 796.) -A2- Also Course, or tendency; syn. قَصْدٌ: so in the saying, to one who is traversing a desert in uncertainty and has declined from the right way, أَقِمْ صَوْبَكَ [Rectify thy course]: and in the phrase فُلَانٌ مُسْتَقِيمُ الصَّوْبِ [Such a one is pursuing the right course], said of a person when he is not declining from his way to the right or left. (TA. [See also another ex. voce أَوْبٌ.]) ― -b2- And A place, or point, of tendency or direction or bearing, syn. جِهَةٌ, (Msb, TA,) of a thing; (Msb;) and نَاحِيَةٌ [which means the same; and also a side; or a lateral, or an adjacent, part or tract of a thing; and in this sense صَوْبٌ is used in the present day]; and جَانِبٌ [which generally has the latter of these meanings]. (TA.) ― -b3- See also صَوَابٌ, in three places.
  • صَابَةٌ Weakness, or feebleness
    : see مُصِيبَةٌ. ― -b2- Also Weakness, or feebleness, in the intellect; (M, A, K;) or a touch of insanity therein; (A;) or somewhat of insanity, or of madneess produced by diabolical possession. (S.) -A2- See also صَابٌ.
  • صُوبَةٌ A collection
    A collection, (جَمَاعَةٌ, M, or مُجْتَمَعٌ, K,) or a collection, or heap, not measured nor weighed, (صُبْرَةٌ, A) of wheat: (M, A, K:) a heap of wheat, and of dates, and of other things: (M:) a quantity collected together of dust or earth: (TA:) or anything collected together: (Kr, M, K:) a place in which dates are collected and dried is thus called by the people of El-Felj. (ISk, S.) One says, دَخَلْتُ عَلَى فُلَانٍ فَإِذَا الدَّنَانِيرُ صُوبَةٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ i. e. [I went in to such a one, and lo, the deenárs were] a heap poured out without measure before him: (S, M, * A: *) or, as some relate the saying, الدِّينَارُ, which is thus used as a gen. n. (M.)
  • صَيْبَانٌ Open entry
    : see صَوْبٌ.

Learn أَصْوَب in real texts

With a free account, hover any word in the library for its meaning, hear it read aloud, save words for review timed to your memory, and see how much of each book you already know.

Create free account