Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon

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رَصَفٌ

Root: رصف

Full Definition

رَصَفٌ Stones put, or joined, together, [whether artificially or naturally, and particularly] in a channel of water: n. un. رَصَفَةٌ . A dam constructed for [the purpose of obstructing or retaining] water: [such is now termed رَصِيفٌ ; which is originally an epithet, but thus used as a subst., and commonly applied to a quay; and a bank, generally of masonry or bricks, raised along the side of a river or of a lake &c.; and any similar mass of masonry:] also (i. e. رَصَفٌ) the channel of a [reservoir such as is termed] مَصْنَعَة. [Hence,] مَآءُ الرَّصَفِ The water descending from the mountains, upon the rocks. El-'Ajjáj says, مِنْ رَصَفٍ نَازَعَ سَيْلًا رَصَفَا meaning that the wine of which he is speaking was mixed with water of a رَصَف [or ledge of rocks or stones] that had contended, in flowing, with another رَصَف, because of its thereby becoming more clear and more delicate: he suppresses the word signifying water, meaning it to be understood, (saying مِنْ رَصَفٍ for مِنْ مَآءِ رَصَفٍ, [but in both of my copies of the S, مَآءٍ is erroneously put for مَآءِ,]) and he calls its passing (مَسِيرَهُ [in the O and in one of my copies of the S مَسيلَهُ]) from رصف to رصف its contending therewith [i. e. with the latter رصف].
2 See also رَصَفَةٌ.
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