العَوَّآءُ

Root: عو

Full Definition

العَوَّآءُ and العَوَّا The dog that howls (يَعْوِى) much. Hence the saying, عَلَيْهِ العَفَأءُ وَالكَلْبُ العَوَّآءُ [Upon him be the dust, and the howling dog]: a form of imprecation.
2 And the latter signifies also The wolf.
3 Also, both, but the latter is the more common, and its ا is to denote the fem. gender, like that of حُبْلَى [in which it is written ى], the word being fem., One of the Mansions of the Moon, namely, the Thirteenth; consisting of five stars, said to be the haunch of the Lion [of which the Arabs, or some of them, extended the figure far beyond the limits that we assign to it: see ذِرَاعٌ]: or four stars [g, d, e and h, of Virgo], behind الصَّرْفَة [q. v.], resembling an alif with the lower part turned back, in the Koofee handwriting [in which it is nearly like the Roman L (see زَاوِيَةٌ, in art. زوى)]; also called عُرْقُوبُ الأَسَدِ; they regard it as dogs following the Lion; and some say that it is the haunches of the Lion; accord. to the A, it is thus called because it rises [a mistake for sets, aurorally, (see مَنَازِلُ القَمَرِ, in art. نزل,)] in the tail, or latter part, of the cold, as though it were howling (كَأَنَّهُ يَعْوِى) after it, driving it away, wherefore they call it طَارُودَةُ البَرْدِ: or it is an appellation applied by the Arabs to the star that is on the edge of the left shoulder of Virgo, which is the Thirteenth Mansion of the Moon: or, accord. to some, the stars that are upon her belly and beneath her armpit; as though they were dogs howling (تَعْوِى) behind the Lion; so called because of the vehemence of the cold; for when they rise or set [aurorally], they bring cold. And [The constellation Bootes;] a northern constellation, called also الصَّيَّاحُ, consisting of two and twenty stars within the figure, and one without it; the figure being that of a man having in his right hand a staff, between the stars of الفَكَّةُ and بَنَاتُ نَعْشٍ: the one that is without the figure is a red, bright star, between his thighs, [i. e. Arcturus,] called السِّمَاكُ الرَّامِحُ, and, by the Arabs, حَارِسُ السَّمَآءِ and حَارِسُ الشَّمَالِ, because it is always seen in the sky, not becoming concealed beneath the rays of the sun.
4 Also, or the former word, [The aged she-camel;] the نَاب of camels; on the authority of AA.
5 Also, both words, the former and sometimes the latter, the former said by Az to be the more common, but MF says that the latter is the more chaste, for the former was by AAF absolutely disallowed, The سَافِلَة, or اِسْت, [each here app. meaning anus,] of a human being; app. from عَوَى, Present.T يَعْوِى, signifying “ he cried,” or “ cried loudly:” as also عُوَّةٌ and عَوَّةٌ , of which last the pl. is عَوٌّ [or rather this is a coll. gen. n.] and [the pl. properly so termed is] عَوَّاتٌ: but IAar is said to have expl. العَوَّآءُ as meaning الأَسْتَاهُ [pl. of سَتَهٌ which is the original of اِسْتٌ].

Lane's Lexicon — The most scholarly Arabic-English dictionary available

The product of over thirty years of unrelenting labor. A work of such unique greatness that to this day it remains supreme in the field of Arabic lexicography.

✓ Full text search • ✓ Root-based navigation
✓ Advanced filters • ✓ Mobile access

Trusted by 1000+ researchers worldwide
Featured on Fons Vitae • Used by universities globally

Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon

Full Definition

Related Words from the Same Root

Verbs

Nouns