عُرْضَةٌ

Full Definition

عُرْضَةٌ is of the measure فُعْلَةٌ in the sense of the measure مَفْعولٌ, like قُبْضَةٌ; and is applied to A thing that is set as an obstacle in the way of a thing: and also to a thing that is exposed to a thing: or that is set as a butt, like the butt of archers. You say, جَعَلْتُ فُلَانًا عُرْضَةً لِكَذَا, meaning نَصَبْتُهُ لَهُ; i. e. I set such a one as an obstacle to such a thing: or as a butt for such a thing. And هُوَ لَهُ دُونَهُ عُرْضَةٌ He is an obstacle to him intervening in the way of it. And فُلَانٌ عُرْضَةٌ لِلنَّاسِ Such a one is [a butt to men; i. e.] a person whom men cease not to revile: or a person to whom men address themselves to do evil, and whom they revile. And هُمْ ضُعَفَآءُ عُرْضَةٌ لِكُلِّ مُتَنَاوِلٍ They are weak persons; persons who offer themselves as a prey to any one who would take them. And it is said in the Kur [ii. 224], وَلَا تَجْعَلُوا ٱللّٰهُ عُرْضَةً لِأَيْمَانِكُمْ أَنْ تَبَرُّوا وَتَتَّقُوا وَتُصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ, meaning نَصْبًا; admitting the two significations of an obstacle and a butt: i. e. And make not God an obstacle between you and that which may bring you near unto God, &c.: or make not God an obstacle to the performance of your oaths to be pious and to fear God and to make reconciliation between men: or make not God an obstacle, because of your oaths, to your being pious &c.: or make not the swearing by God an obstacle to your being pious [&c.]: and Zj says the like of this: or عُرْضَةٌ signifies intervention with respect to good and evil; and the meaning is, do not intervene by swearing by God every little while so as not to be pious &c.: or make not God an object of your oaths, by ordinary and frequent swearing by Him, or a butt for your oaths, like the butt of archers, in order that ye may be pious &c.; for the habitual swearer emboldens himself against God, and is not pious &c.: or, as some say, the meaning is make not the mention of God a means of strengthening your oaths. You say also, هٰذَا عُرْضَةٌ لَكَ as meaning This is a thing prepared for thy common, or ordinary, use.
2 A purpose; an intention; or an object of desire, or of endeavour; [as though it were a butt;] syn. هِمَّةٌ. Hassán says, i. e. Ibn-Thábit, وَقَالَ ٱللّٰهُ قَدْ يَسَّرْتُ جُنْدًا هُمُ الأَنْصَارُ عُرْضَتُهَا اللِّقَآءُ [And God said I have prepared an army: they are the Ansár; whose purpose, or the object of whose desire, is conflict with the unbelievers]. (S, O, TA. [In one copy of the S, in the place of يَسَّرْتُ, I find أَعْدَدْتُ, which signifies the same.])
3 A pretext; an excuse.
4 One says also, فُلَانٌ عُرْضَةُ ذَاكَ, or عُرْضَةٌ لِذَاكَ, Such a one is possessed of the requisite ability and strength for that: and عُرْضَةٌ لِلشَّرِّ possessed of strength to do evil, or mischief: and in like manner عُرْضَةٌ is applied to two things, and to more. And فُلَانَةُ عُرْضَةٌ لِلزَّوْجِ Such a female is possessed of sufficient strength for the husband; [i. e., to be married;] or لِلنِّكَاحِ for marriage. And نَاقَةٌ عُرْضَةٌ لِلْحِجَارَةِ A she-camel having strength enough for [going upon] the stones. And [in like manner] نَاقَةٌ أَسْفَارٍ A she-camel having strength sufficient for journeys. And هٰذَا البَعِيرِ السَّفَرُ وَالحَجَرُ The strength of this camel is sufficient for journeying and for going over stone.

def.2 عُرْضَةٌ also signifies A kind of trick, or artifice, in wrestling, by which one throws down men.

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