Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon

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سُورَةٌ

Root: سور

Full Definition

سُورَةٌ Eminence, or nobility: rank or station: or high, or exalted, rank or station: excellence: pl. سُوَرٌ and سُورٌ : [the latter of which is an anomalous pl.; or a coll. gen. n. of which سُورَةٌ is the n. of un., as in another sense mentioned below:] and سُورَةٌ, or سَوْرَةٌ , a mark, or sign, of glory, honour, dignity, or nobility; and height thereof. You say, لَهُ سُورَةٌ فِى المَجْدِ He has eminence in glory. And لَهُ سُورَةٌ عَلَيْكَ He has superiority, and rank or station, over, or above, thee; he is of higher rank or dignity than thou. And سُوَرُ الإِبِلِ, [in the A سُوَرٌ مِنَ الإِبِلِ,] or الإِبِلِ, means The excellent ones of camels: sing. سُورَةٌ, which, accord. to some, signifies hardy and strong.
2 سُورَةٌ also signifies What is goodly and tall, of structures.
3 And The extremity (حَدّ) of anything.
4 See also سُورٌ.
5 Also A row of stones or bricks of a wall: (L, K: in the L, عَرَقٌ مِنْ أَعْرَاقِ الحَائِطِ: in the K, عَرَقٌ من عُرُوقِ الحائط, or, as in the CK, عِرْقٌ الخ:) any degree (مَنْزِلَة) of a structure: pl. سُورٌ , [or this is a coll. gen. n.,] like as بُسْرٌ is of بُسْرَةٌ, and سُوَرٌ.
6 Hence its application in relation to the Kur-án, [to signify A chapter thereof,] because each of what are thus called forms one degree, or step, distinct from another, or [leading] to another: or from the same word signifying “ eminence: ” or as being likened to the wall of a city: some pronounce it with hemz; (see art. سأر;) but it is more common without: pl. سُوَرٌ, and سُورَاتٌ and سُوَرَاتٌ are also allowable.
7 A sign, or token. You say, بَيْنَهُمَا سُورَةٌ Between them two is a sign, or token.
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