Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon

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خِدْنٌ

Root: خدن

Full Definition

خِدْنٌ and خَدِينٌ A friend: or a secret, or private, friend; a friend in secrecy or privacy: or a companion, or an associate, who converses, or talks, with one: or [simply] a companion, or an associate: but accord. to Er-Rághib, mostly used as meaning an amorous companion or associate; a companion, or an associate, affected with sensual appetency: the former is applied alike to the male and the female: and ↓ the latter signifies also one who is thy friend, &c., (مَنْ يُخَادِنُكَ, K,) and who is with thee, in every affair, or case, open and secret: pl. أَخْدَانٌ and [of the latter] خُدَنَآءُ. Hence, خِدْنُ الجَارِيَةِ [The friend, &c., of the girl]: or he who converses, or talks, with the girl. It is said in the Kur [iv. 29], وَلَا مُتَّخِذَاتِ أَخْدَانٍ, meaning [Nor taking to themselves] friends [or associates] to commit fornication with them in secret. العُلَى is a metaphorical expression, used by a poet, [meaning Lover of eminence,] like عَشِيقُ العُلَى.
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