زَبَانِيَةٌ
Root: زبن
Full Definition
زَبَانِيَةٌ
is a pl., of which the sing. is
زِبْنِيَةٌ , as some say, or
زَبَانٍ , or
زُبَانَى , like سُكَارَى, or
زَابِنٌ , or
, the pl. of this last being originally زَبَانِىُّ, the ة [in زَبَانِيَةٌ] being substituted for the [last] ى: but the Arabs hardly, or in nowise, know this [attribution of a sing. to زَبَانِيَةٌ], holding it to be a pl. having no sing., like أَبَابِيلُ and عَبَادِيدُ. With the Arabs [of the classical age] it signifies The شُرَط [app. in the earlier sense of the braves of an army, or in the later sense of the armed attendants, officers, or soldiers, of the prefect of the police]: this is the primary signification: the sing. being syn. with
شُرْطِىٌّ: and also signifying the مُتَمَرِّد [i. e. one who exalts himself, or is insolent and audacious, in pride and in acts of rebellion or disobedience, &c.,] of the jinn, or genii, and of mankind: and i. q.
شَدِيدٌ [i. e. strong, &c.]: each of these two significations [and the first also] being from the meaning of “ pushing, ” or “ thrusting. ”
2 الزَّبَانِيَةُ signifies also Certain angels, [the tormentors of the damned in Hell,] so called because of their thrusting the people of the fire thereto; the angels mentioned in the Kur [lxvi. 6] as غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ, i. e. rough in speech or in disposition, strong in deeds or in make.
2 الزَّبَانِيَةُ signifies also Certain angels, [the tormentors of the damned in Hell,] so called because of their thrusting the people of the fire thereto; the angels mentioned in the Kur [lxvi. 6] as غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ, i. e. rough in speech or in disposition, strong in deeds or in make.