Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon

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حِيلَةٌ

Root: حول

Full Definition

حِيلَةٌ , originally حِوْلَةٌ, [said to be an Verbal.Noun, ] and حَوْلٌ and حَيْلٌ and حِوَلٌ , which is also a pl. of the first, and حَوْلَةٌ and حُولَةٌ and حَوِيلٌ and حَائِلَةٌ and مَحَالَةٌ and مَحَالٌ , [said to be an Verbal.Noun, ] and مَحِيلَةٌ , i. q. اِحْتِيَالٌ and تَحَوُّلٌ and تَحَيُّلٌ; [or A mode, or manner, of changing from one state to another, or of shifting from one thing to another; حِيلَةٌ being of the measure فِعْلَةٌ from حَالَ, like جِلْسَةٌ &c. from جَلَسَ &c.; or from تَحَوُّلٌ as syn. with حَالَ; a mode, or means, of evading or eluding a thing, or of effecting an object; an evasion or elusion, a shift, a wile, an artifice, or artful contrivance or device, a machination, a trick, a plot, a stratagem, or an expedient;] a means of effecting one's transition from that which he dislikes to that which he likes; art, artifice, cunning, ingenuity, or skill, in the management of affairs; i. e. the turning over, or revolving, thoughts, ideas, schemes, or contrivances, in the mind, so as to find a way of attaining one's object; and excellence of consideration or deliberation; and ability to manage according to one's own free will, with subtilty: accord. to Er-Rághib, حِيلَةٌ signifies a means of attaining to some state concealedly; and it is mostly used of that in which is sin, or offence, or disobedience; but sometimes of that in the exercise of which is wisdom; and hence God is described as شَدِيدُ, meaning strong in attaining, concealedly from men, to that in which is wisdom: accord. to Abu-l-Bakà, it is from التَّحَوُّلُ; because by it one shifts from one state to another, by a species of forecast, and gentleness, or delicacy, so as to change a thing from its outward appearance: the pl. of حِيلَةٌ is حِوَلٌ and حِيَلٌ [which latter is the most common form, and also, as well as حِوَلٌ, said to be syn. with the sing.,] and حِيلَاتٌ. One says, لَا حِيلَةَ لَهُ [He has no mode, or means, of evading &c.]. [And مَا بِيَدِى حِيلَةٌ I have no mode, or means, of evading &c.]. And المَرْءُ يَعْجِزُ لَا [Man becomes impotent: there is no avoiding it]. لَا مِنْهُ means لَا بُدَّ [There is no avoiding it, or escaping it]. One says, لَا المَوْتُ آتٍ [Death comes: there is no avoiding it]. See also حِوَلٌ.
2 And see حُولَةٌ:
3 and حَوْلٌ.
4 [عِلْمُ الحِيَلِ The science of mechanics.]
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