سَوْطٌ

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سَوْطٌ [A whip;] a certain thing, namely, plaited skin, [or a lash,] with which one beats, or strikes, well known; i. q. مِقْرَعَةٌ: so called because it mixes the flesh with the blood when a man or a beast is struck with it; or because its several component parts are mixed together: pl. [of pauc.] أَسْوَاطٌ and [of mult.] سِيَاطٌ: the latter originally سِوَاطٌ. The saying ضَرَبْتُ زَيْدًا سَوْطًا means ضَرَبْتُ زَيْدًا بِسَوْطٍ [I struck Zeyd with a whip]: or it is one of those rare instances in which a prefixed n. is suppressed; being originally ضَرَبْتُهُ ضَرْبَةَ سَوْطٍ [I struck him a stroke, or lash, of a whip], meaning ضَرْبَةً بِسَوْطٍ [a stroke, or lash, with a whip]: or ضَرْبَةً وَاحِدَةً بِسَوْطٍ [one stroke, or lash, with a whip]. One says also, ضَرَبَهُ مِائَةَ سَوْطٍ [He struck him a hundred strokes, or lashes, of the whip]. (S and K in art. سحل.)
2 In the Kur [lxxxix. 12], where it is said, فَصَبَّ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ سَوْطَ عَذَابٍ, it signifies A portion, or share: or vehemence, or severity; as being likened to the paining of a whip; because punishment is sometimes with the سَوْط; and this word is used by the Arabs to denote every kind of punishment when it is extreme, though there be in it no beating: [therefore,] the above-cited saying in the Kur means, [And thy Lord poured upon them a portion, or a share, or vehemence, or severity, of punishment: or it means,] a mixture; prepared for them, of various punishments: or it is designed to show that what befell them in the present world was, in comparison with what is prepared for them in the final state, like the whip in comparison with the sword: or the meaning is a kind of punishment. [Agreeably with this last explanation, it is said that] the phrase هُمَا يَتَعَاطَيَانِ سَوْطًا وَاحِدًا means They two are agreed upon one mode: or the meaning is [they two enter, or plunge, into; or venture boldly upon, and do;] one thing, or affair; (S, and K; but wanting in one copy of the former; and in the latter, in the place of هما is put ما;) i. e., one sort [of thing or affair].
3 [قِيدُ سَوْطٍ The measure of a whip, i. e. a whip's length, is an astronomical measure, which seems, from several instances that I have noted, in the work of Kzw &c., to be the same as رُمْحٌ is in modern usage; i. e. four degrees and a half, by rule; but, like the latter, not precise nor uniform in every instance.]
4 [The pl.] سِيَاطٌ also signifies The seed-stalks of leeks; the stalks, of leeks, upon which are the زَمَالِيق thereof: so called as being likened to the سياط with which one strikes.
5 And سَوْطٌ signifies also A remaining portion of water, or of a pool of water left by a torrent, (K, [in some copies of which الغَدِيل is erroneously put for الغَدِير,]) extended like the سَوْط [with which one strikes]: pl. سِيَاطٌ.
6 And A place where water collects and stagnates: pl. أَسْوَاطٌ.
7 And A road, or track, of little width, between two elevations: pl. أَسْيَاطٌ [or سِيَاطٌ?] and أًسْوَاطٌ: so in the A: but some say شَوْطٌ, q. v.
8 Also A kind of tent, of [goats'] hair. (Ibn-El-Kelbee, TA voce بَيْتٌ, q. v.)
9 And سَوْطُ بَاطِلٍ Light entering from an aperture in a wall, in sunshine; also termed خَيْطُ بَاطِلٍ: but as some say, with ش. (TA: and it is mentioned with ش in art. شوط in the S, and again in the K.)

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