take a pinch (measure)

, aor. , (M, A, K,) inf. n. قَبْصٌ, (S, M,) He took it with the ends of his fingers; (S, M, A, K;) the action which it denotes being less than that termed قَبْضٌ; (M;) the latter signifying the “ taking with the whole of the hand; ” (Bd, xx. 96;) as also ↓ قبصّهُ, (Ibn-'Abbád, K,) inf. n. تَقْبِيصٌ. (TA.) Thus, accord. to one reading, [in the Kur, xx. 96,] فَقَبَصْتُ قَبْصَةً مِنْ أَثَرِ الرَّسُولِ; (S, M, A, TA;) and, accord. to another, قُبْصَةً; (TA;) [in each] with ص [in both instances] instead of ض, with which the passage is commonly read; (TA;) meaning, [And I took with the ends of my fingers somewhat] of the dust from the footstep of the horse of the messenger Gabriel. (Jel.) [But see قبض.] You say also, قُبْصَةً ↓ إِقْتَبَصْتُ [I took for myself somewhat with the ends of my fingers]. (A.) And مِنْ أَنْوَارِكَ ↓ جِيأْتُ لِأَقْتَبِسَ وَأَقْتَبِصَ مِنْ آثَارِكَ (tropical:) [I came to acquire of thy lights of knowledge, and pick up somewhat of thy traditions]. (A.)

see 1.

see 1, in two places.

: see قِبْصٌ, throughout.

A great number (AO, S, M, K) of men or people; (S, K;) as also ↓ قَبْصٌ: (M, TA:) thus applied it is like a dim. applied to that which is esteemed great. (El-Fáïk, O.) You say, إِنَّهُمْ لَفِى قِبْصِ الحَصَى Verily they are numerous as the pebbles. (TA.) And هُوَ فِى قِبْصِ الحَصَى, and ↓ قَبْصِهَا, He is in, or among, a multitude that cannot be numbered. (O, TA.) [See also a verse of ElKumeyt cited in the first paragraph of art. ثرو.] ― -b2- A place where a number is collected together of ants; as also ↓ قَبْصٌ: (M:) and of bees; as also the latter word: (TA:) or where a great number of ants is collected together: (El-'Eyn, TA:) or where a great quantity of sand is collected together; as also the latter word. (Ibn-'Abbád, K.)

What one takes with the ends of his fingers; as also ↓ قُبْصَةٌ, (K,) and ↓ قَبِيصَةٌ: (S, Msb:) [in the L, قُبَيْصَةٌ; but this is the dim. of the first and second of the above words:] or, accord. to some, the first is a noun signifying the act [of so taking]: (M:) and the second, (M,) or this and the first also, (K,) signifies what one's two hands carry, of food, or wheat: (M, K:) the pl. of ↓ قُبْصَةٌ is قُبَصٌ. (TA.)

: see قَبْصَةٌ, throughout.

: see what next follows.

: see قَبْصَةٌ. ― -b2- Also, (M, K,) and ↓ قَبِيصٌ, (M, TA,) Dust, or earth, (M, K,) and pebbles, (Ibn-'Abbád, K, TA,) collected together. (M, K, TA.)

sing. of قَوَابِصُ; which signifies Bodies [of men]; syn. طَوَايأِفُ; and a number collected together. (TA.)