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مَسَّهُ

Root: مس

Form: 1

Full Definition

مَسَّهُI , first pers. مَسِسْتُهُ, for which they sometimes say مِسْتُهُ, rejecting the first س, and transferring the kesreh thereof to the م contr. to general rule, and some do not transfer the kesreh, but leave the م with its fethah, [saying مَسْتُهُ,] like ظِلْتُمْ and ظَلْتُمْ for ظَلِلْتُمْ, an irregular contraction, Present.T يَمَسُّهُ, [and يَمْسَسْهُ when mejzoom, accord. to rule,] Verbal.Noun مَسٌّ and مَسِيسٌ, or the latter is a simple subst., and مِسِّيسَى; and [مَسَّهُ,] first pers. مَسَسْتُهُ; Present.T يَمُسُّهُ, Verbal.Noun مَسٌّ; the former of which two verbs is the more chaste; He touched it, or felt it, [generally the former,] syn. لَمَسَهُ, with his hand: or he put his hand to it without the intervention of anything: or مَسٌّ is like لَمْسٌ; excepting that the latter is [sometimes] used to signify the seeking for [or feeling for] a thing, even though it be not found; whereas the former is [only] said of that [action] with which is perception by the sense of لمس: [see also لَمَسَهُ:] and [in like manner you say,] مَاسَّ الشَّىْءُ الشَّىْءَ, Verbal.Noun مُمَاسَّةٌ and مِسَاسٌ, meaning, the thing met [or touched] the thing with its substance.
2 [Hence,] مَسَّهَا, first pers. مَسِسْتُهَا, Present.T يَمَسُّهَا, Verbal.Noun مَسٌّ and مَسِيسٌ, Inivit eam; scil. mulierem; as also , Verbal.Noun مُمَاسَّةٌ and مِسَاسٌ: the former is used in this sense in several places in the Kur, and is said by some to be preferable to the latter: and تَمَاسٌّ is also used metonymically for [the coming together, in the sense of] مُبَاضَعَةٌ, as well as مُمَاسَّةٌ.
3 مَسَّ المَآءُ الجَسَدَ, Verbal.Noun مَسٌّ, The water wetted the body.
4 مَسَّ also signifies He, or it, struck, or smote; because striking, or smiting, like touching, is with the hand. You say, مَسَّهُ بِالسَّوْطِ He struck him with the whip].
5 And it is said of anything annoying or hurtful that befals a man. Thus in the Kur, [ii. 74, and iii. 23,] لَنْ تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ [The fire of hell will not smite us; or here it may be rendered touch us]. And [ii. 210,] مَسَّتْهُمُ البَأْسَآءُ [Distress, or misfortune, smote, or afflicted, or befell, them]. And in other instances; all which are similar to the saying in the same, ذُوقُوا مَسَّ سَقَرَ. [See مَسٌّ below.] You say also, مَسَّهُ المَرَضُ [Sickness smote him, or befell him]: and مَسَّهُ العَذَابُ [Punishment befell him]: and مَسَّهُ الكِبَرُ [Old age came upon him]. And مَسَّتْهُ الجِنُّ [lit. The jinn, or genii touched him; meaning, affected him with madness, or insanity]: [whence,] مُسَّ, [in the TA, مُسَّ بِهِ, app. meaning, from what immediately precedes, مُسَّ بِالجُنُونِ, Verbal.Noun مَسٌّ,] He was, or became, [touched with madness, or insanity: or] mad, or insane: as though the jinn had touched him. And مَسَّهُ بِعَذَابٍ He punished him.
6 [Hence, app.,] مَسَّتْ إِلَيْهِ الحَاجَةُ, Verbal.Noun [مَسٌّ and] مَسِيسٌ, [which seems to signify either The want of him, or it, was difficult of accomplishment, or distressing; or the want was difficult of accomplishment, or distressing, to him]. (S, K,. [In both these lexicons, the meaning is left to be inferred only from the fact that this phrase immediately follows the explanation of حَاجَةٌ مَاسَّةٌ, q. v.])
7 [مَسَّ is also said of what is good, as well as of what is evil; as in the following instance:] مَسَّتْهُ مَوَاسُّ الخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ [The haps of good fortune, and of evil,] happened to him, or betided him.
8 [As touching implies proximity,] مَسَّتْ بِكَ رَحِمُ فُلَانٍ signifies The relationship of such a one is near to you.
9 And as مَسَّ originally signifies “ he touched or felt with the hand, ” it is used metaphorically as meaning He took a thing; as, for instance, water from a مِيضَأَة.

def.2 مَسَّ is made doubly trans. by means of the prep. بِ prefixed to the second objective complement. See 4, in two places.


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