take advantage of, seize

, aor. , (Msb,) inf. n. نَهْزٌ, (Msb, TA,) He rose to take a thing with his extended hand. (Msb, JK, TA.) He took a thing with his extended hand. (JK, TA.) See also 3 and 8. -A2- نَهَزَ الشَّىْءُ The thing became near. (K.) See also 3, in two places.

, inf. n. مُنَاهَزَةٌ, He strove with him, or made haste, to outstrip him; to be, or get, before him; to precede him. (TA.) You say, ناهز الصَّيْدَ He made haste to get before the game, or object of the chase, (K, TA,) and seized it before its escape. (TA.) And نَاهَزْتُهُمُ الفُرَصَ [I strove with them, or made haste, to be before them in taking, or seizing, the opportunities, or the turns for drawing water or the like]. (S, A.) A poet says, " نَاهَزْتُهُمْ بِنَيْطَلٍ جَرُوفِ " [I strove with them, or made haste, to be before them in drawing water with a capacious bucket]. (S.) -A2- Also, (K,) inf. n. as above, (TA,) He approached it; drew near to it; nearly attained to it; (K, TA;) as also ↓ نَهَزَهُ. (TA.) You say, ناهز البُلُوغُ, (S, Msb,) and الحُلُمَ, (A, TA,) He (a boy, S, Msb) approached, drew near to, or nearly attained to, puberty. (S, A, Msb.) And ناهز الخَمْسِينَ [He approached, or nearly attained to, the age of fifty]. (A, TA.) And ناهز لِلْفِطَامِ, (A, Msb,) inf. n. as above, (Msb,) He (a child) approached, or drew near to, the [time of] weaning; (A, Msb;) as also ↓ نَهَزَ لَهُ, (Msb, TA,) aor. . (Msb.) -A3- See also 8.

They strove together, or made haste, each to be, or get, before the other. (K.) You say, هُمَا يَتَنَاهَزَانِ إِمَارَةَ بَلَدِ كَذَا They strive together, or make haste, each to be before the other in obtaining the government of such a town, or country. (S, * TA.) And تَنَاهَزُوا الفُرَصَ [They strove together, or made haste, to be before one another in taking, or seizing, the opportunities, or the turns for drawing water or the like: see 3.] (A.)

He took, or seized, [or availed himself of,] the opportunity; syn. اِغْتَنَمَهَا: (S, A, K:) or he arose and hastened to be before another, or others, in taking, or seizing, the opportunity; or simply he hastened to take it. (Msb.) You say, انْتَهِزْهَا قَدْ أَمْكَنَتْكَ قَبْلَ الفَوْتِ [Take thou, or seize thou, it; (meaning the opportunity;) for it hath become within thy power; before the escape thereof]. (TA.) And اِنْتَهِزْ فَقَدْ أَعْرَضَ لَكَ [Take thou, or seize thou, the opportunity; for it hath offered itself to thee]. (A, TA.) Also, انْتَهَزَهَا He took it, or them, [but to what the pronoun refers is not shown,] with his extended hand, from a near spot; and so ↓ نَاهَزَهَا. (TA.) And انتهز الشَّىْءَ He accepted the thing, and hastened to take it with his extended hand. (TA.)

An opportunity; a time at which, or during which, a thing may be done or had; syn. فُرْصَةٌ. (S, K.) ― -b2- A thing that offers itself to one as a prey, or spoil. (JK, L. *) You say, فُلَانٌ نُهْزَةُ المُخْتَلِسِ [Such a one is the prey of the snatcher]; meaning, such a one is the prey of every one. (L.) And هٰذِهِ نُهْزَةٌ فَٱخْتَلِسْهَا [This is a thing that offers itself as a prey, therefore snatch thou it.] (A.)

Approaching, or near, to the time of weaning; applied to a boy; (JK, Msb, TA;) and to a girl; (TA;) or the epithet applied to the latter is with ة. (JK, Msb.)