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دُخَانٌ

Root: دخن

Full Definition

دُخَانٌ and دُخَّانٌ , which latter is the form [now] commonly used, and دَخَنٌ , i. q. عُثَانٌ [a less usual term, meaning Smoke]: (K: [in the S it is said merely that the دُخَان of fire is well known:]) pl. دَوَاخِنُ, like as عَوَاثِنُ is pl. of عُثَانٌ, the only other instance of the kind, deviating from rule, and دَوَاخِينُ, [also irreg., and both pls. of mult.,] and أَدْخِنَةٌ [a pl. of pauc.]. [Hence, the tribes of] Ghanee and Báhileh (غَنِىّ and بَاهِلَة) were called اِبْنَا دُخَانٍ [The two sons of smoke] because they smoked a party of men (دَخَّنُوا عَلَى قَوْمٍ) in a cave and so killed them. Hence also, هُدْنَةٌ عَلَى A calm [or truce] for a cause other than recon- ciliation: (S, K, TA: [in the CK, لَغَلَبَةٍ is erroneously put for لِعِلَّةٍ:]) or [as a cloak] upon [i. e. concealing] inward corruptness; from دَخِنَتِ النَّارُ explained above; [see 1;] [for] IAth says that it likens inward corruptness beneath outward rectitude to the smoke [or smoking] of fresh, or moist, firewood: or upon latent rancour or malevolence: (S and TA in art. هدن:) but A'Obeyd, in explaining a trad. in which it occurs, takes it from دَخَنٌ as signifying “ a duskiness, or dinginess, inclining to blackness,” in the colour of a beast or of a garment; for he says that it means [a case in which] the mutual love of two parties will not become pure, like the duskiness, or dinginess, that is in the colour of a beast.
2 دُخَانٌ is also used by the Arabs for Evil, or mischief, when it arises; as in the saying, كَانَ بَيْنَنَا أَمْرٌ ٱرْتَفَعَ لَهُ دُخَانٌ [There was between us an affair that had evil, or mischief, arising in consequence of it].
3 It also means Dearth, drought, sterility, or unfruitfulness; and hunger: and so it has been said to mean in the Kur xliv. 9: for it is said that the hungry [once] saw smoke (دُخَان) between him and the sky: or hunger is thus called because of the dryness of the earth in drought, and the rising of the dust, which is likened to دُخَان [properly so termed].
4 [In the present day, it is also applied, but generally pronounced , to Tobacco; nicotiana tabacum of Linn.]
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