أَعْشَى

Full Definition

أَعْشَى Weak-sighted: or sightless by night, but seeing by day: or having bad sight by night and by day: and so : fem. عَشْوَآءُ, applied to a woman; [the masc. being applied to a man, and either masc. or fem. to a beast of the equine kind, and a camel, and a bird, (see عَشًا,)] and dual masc. أَعْشَيَانِ and fem. عَشْوَاوَانِ: [and pl. عُشْىٌ.]
2 The fem. عَشْوَآءُ also particularly signifies. A she-camel that sees not before her, [or that has weak sight,] and therefore strikes everything with her fore feet, not paying attention to the places of her feet [on the ground]. [Hence] one says, رَكِبَ فُلَانٌ العَشْوَآءَ, meaning Such a one prosecuted his affair without mental perception, or without certainty. And خَبَطَهُ خَبْطَ عَشْوَآءَ He did it [at random, or] without aim; thus accord. to the M: or be ventured upon it without mental perception, and without certainty: or, as some say, he took it upon himself without his endeavouring to ascertain the right course; the doing of which is sometimes, or often, attended with error: it is a prov., applied to him who goes at random and does not care for the result of his conduct. (TA. [See also 1 in art. خبط.])
3 And عُقَابٌ عَشْوَآءُ An eagle that cares not how it beats the ground, and where it strikes with its talons.
4 See also the fem. voce عَشْوَةٌ.

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

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

Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon

Full Definition

Related Words from the Same Root

Verbs

Nouns