Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon

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غِسْلٌ

Root: غسل

Full Definition

غِسْلٌ A preparation for washing the head, consisting of خِطْمِىّ [or marsh-mallows] and other things of a similar kind, [with water,] as [leaves of] the [species of lote-tree called] سِدْر, and طِين, or طِينَةُ الرَّأْسِ, [meaning fullers' earth, which is often used in the bath and elsewhere instead of soap,] and أُشْنَان [or potash]: [and app. any wash for the head:] and غِسْلَةٌ signifies the same: and also leaves of the myrtle: and perfume; syn. طِيبٌ: and what a woman puts into her hair on the occasion of combing and dressing it: غِسْلَةٌ مُطَرَّاةٌ being myrtle [-leaves] rendered fragrant with aromatic perfumes, used in combing and dressing one's hair: one should not say غَسْلَةٌ. IAar cites the following verse of 'Abd-Er-Rahmán Ibn-Dárah El-Ghatafánee, فَيَا لَيْلَ إِنَّ الغِسْلَ مَا دُمْتِ أَيِّمًا عَلَىَّ حَرَامٌ لَا يَمَسُّنِىَ الغِسْلُ [And, O Leylà, (لَيْلَ being a contraction of لَيْلَى, but in the O it is يا جُمْلُ O Juml,) verily the wash for the head, as long as thou remainest husbandless, shall be unlawful to me: the wash for the head shall not touch me]: i. e. I will not need the wash for the head by my جِمَاع of other than her: [he says thus] in eager desire of taking her in marriage.
2 See also غَسُولٌ.

def.2 And see also غُسَلَةٌ.
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