دَحْلٌ

Full Definition

دَحْلٌ A hollow, or cavity, or a deep hollow or cavity, in the ground, and in the lower parts of valleys, narrow, and then widening: or a [hollow such as is termed] قَعْر, in the ground, curving, or winding, or uneven, resembling a well, narrow at the mouth, and then widening; or it may be not widening: or, as also دُحْلٌ , a hole (نَقْبٌ) narrow in the mouth and wide in the lower part, so that one may walk therein, having a bending or the like, and sometimes producing سِدْر [or lote-trees]: or a place into which one may enter beneath a جُرْف [or water-worn bank]; or in the width of the side of a well, in its lower part; and the like in a watering-place: all these explanations in the K are found in the M: or each, or دَحْلٌ, signifies [or rather signifies also] a hole in [any of] the tents of the Arabs of the desert, made for the purpose of a woman's entering into it when a man enters [the tent]; so called as being likened to the دَحْل [commonly thus termed]: and a kind of reservoir (مَصْنَعٌ) that collects water: Az describes, as seen by him, at El-Khalsà, in the district of Ed-Dahnà, many a دَحْل, being a natural subterranean cavity extending in an even manner, and then becoming hollowed out on the right and left, sometimes narrow and sometimes wide, in smooth rock, and leading to an abyss (جَوّ) of water, of extent and abundance unknown because of the darkness of the دحل beneath the earth, sweet and clear and cold and pleasant to drink because of rain-water that had flowed thither from above, and collected therein: and دَحْلٌ also signifies a lateral hollow (لَحْدٌ) of a grave: (TA in art. تو: [in this sense, perhaps formed by transposition:]) دَحِيلَةٌ , also, signifies a hollow, or cavity, in the ground; like دَحْلٌ; or like the دَحْل: the pl. [of pauc.] of دحل is أَدْحَالٌ and أَدْحُلٌ and [of mult.] دُحُولٌ and دِحَالٌ and دُحْلَانٌ.

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