Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon

عَشْوَةٌ

Root: عشو

Full Definition

عَشْوَةٌ Darkness, in [any part of] the night and in the سَحَر [or period a little before daybreak]; as also : or the first of the darkness of the night: or the period between the beginning and [the end of] the [first] quarter of the night: thus in the saying, مَضَى مِنَ اللَّيْلِ عَشْوَةٌ [A period between the beginning &c. of the night passed]: and one says also, أَخَذْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ بِالعَشْوَةِ, meaning [I laid hold upon them] in the blackness of night: the dim. is عُشَيَّةٌ . In the saying جَآءَ عَشْوَةَ, meaning عِشَآءً [i. e. He came at nightfall], it [is an adv. n. which] may not be used otherwise than thus: you may not say, مَضَتْ عَشْوَةُ.
2 العشوة [app. العَشْوَةُ] as meaning العَشَآءُ, like الغدوة [app. الغَدْوَةُ] as meaning الغَدَآءُ, is vulgar.

def.2 Also The venturing upon, or embarking in, an affair that is not clear; as also عِشْوَةٌ and عُشْوَةٌ : one says, أَوْطَأْتَنِى عَشْوَةً and عِشْوَةً and عُشْوَةً, meaning [Thou hast made me to venture upon, or embark in,] a confused and dubious affair: this is when you tell him of a thing by means of which you have made him to fall into perplexity or trial.
2 خَبَّاطُ عَشَوَاتٍ, occurring in a trad., see expl. in art. خبط.


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

Sign in · 7-Day Free Trial

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