Core sense — leprous; a gecko lizard; the moongenerated
1
[Leprous;] having the disease called بَرَصٌ.
Feminine بَرْصَآءُ; plurals بُرْصٌ and بُرْصَانٌ.
1.1the species of lizard described above—سَامُّ أَبْرَصَ
the same, written as one word—سَامُّ أَبْرَصَ
the same—سَمُّ أَبْرَصَ
The first word is declinable, prefixed to the second and governing it in the genitive case.
Here the first word is indeclinable, ending in fet-ḥ, and the second is imperfectly declinable, both in this and in the former case.
So in some copies of the K in art. سم.
The same as الوَزَغَةُ [the species of lizard described above, under بُرْصٌ]; so also in art. وزغ.
Or such as are large, of the وَزَغ [of which وَزَغَةٌ is the ism waḥda]; or one of the large sorts of the وَزَغ, definite, as a generic name.
As says: I know not why it is so called. [The reason seems to be its leprous colour: see بُرْصٌ.]
Its blood and its urine have a wonderful effect when put into the orifice of the penis of a child who has difficulty in passing his urine, relieving him at once; and its head, pounded, when put upon a limb, brings out a thing that has entered it and become hidden in it, such as a thorn or the like.
The dual is سَامَّا أَبْرَصَ and the plural is سَوَامُّ أَبْرَصَ, ابرص having no dual or plural form; or, sometimes, or if you like, you may say السَّوَامُّ without mentioning ابرص, and البِرَصَةُ, and الأَبَارِصُ without mentioning سَامّ; the last of these plurals is as though formed from a relative noun, [namely أَبْرَصِىٌّ], though without the ending ة, as they said المَهَالِبُ [for المَهَالِبَةُ].
1.2the moon—الأَبْرَصُ
[So called because of its mottled colour.]
[I passed the night with none but the moon to cheer me by its presence]—بِتُّ لَا مُؤْنِسِى إِلَّا الأَبْرَصُ
1.3a serpent having white places in its skin, distinct from its general colour—حَيَّةٌ بَرْصَآءُ
1.4figurative · مجازland bare of herbage—أَرْضٌ بَرْصَآءُ
Its herbage has been depastured in some places, so that it has become bare.
Qur’ānic occurrences أَبْرَص
3:49
وَرَسُولًا إِلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ أَنِّى قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِـَٔايَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ أَنِّىٓ أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطِّينِ كَهَيْـَٔةِ ٱلطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًۢا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُبْرِئُ ٱلْأَكْمَهَ وَٱلْأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِى بُيُوتِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ"And (appoint him) a messenger to the Children of Israel, (with this message): "'I have come to you, with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah's leave: And I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead, by Allah's leave; and I declare to you what ye eat, and what ye store in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you if ye did believe;
5:110
إِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَـٰعِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ ٱذْكُرْ نِعْمَتِى عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَتِكَ إِذْ أَيَّدتُّكَ بِرُوحِ ٱلْقُدُسِ تُكَلِّمُ ٱلنَّاسَ فِى ٱلْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلًا ۖ وَإِذْ عَلَّمْتُكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ وَٱلْإِنجِيلَ ۖ وَإِذْ تَخْلُقُ مِنَ ٱلطِّينِ كَهَيْـَٔةِ ٱلطَّيْرِ بِإِذْنِى فَتَنفُخُ فِيهَا فَتَكُونُ طَيْرًۢا بِإِذْنِى ۖ وَتُبْرِئُ ٱلْأَكْمَهَ وَٱلْأَبْرَصَ بِإِذْنِى ۖ وَإِذْ تُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِى ۖ وَإِذْ كَفَفْتُ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ عَنكَ إِذْ جِئْتَهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ فَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌThen will Allah say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favour to thee and to thy mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the holy spirit, so that thou didst speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught thee the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel and behold! thou makest out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and thou breathest into it and it becometh a bird by My leave, and thou healest those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave. And behold! thou bringest forth the dead by My leave. And behold! I did restrain the Children of Israel from (violence to) thee when thou didst show them the clear Signs, and the unbelievers among them said: 'This is nothing but evident magic.'
Occurrences of this form in the Qur’ān, not Lane’s choice of verse. They show the word in use; they do not say which sense above applies. Where more occur than are shown, the shortest āyāt are chosen.
Show Lane's original text
[Leprous;] having the disease called بَرَصٌ : (S, M, K:) fem. بَرْصَآءُ : (M, Msb:) pl. بُرْصٌ (Msb, TA) and بُرْصَانٌ . (TA.) سَامُّ أَبْرَصَ , (S, M, Msb, K,) the former word being decl., prefixed to the latter as governing it in the gen. case; (S, Msb;) and سَامُّ أَبْرَصَ , as one word, the former being indecl. with fet-h for its termination, and the latter being imperfectly decl., (S, Msb;) in this and in the former instance; (Msb;) and سَمُّ أَبْرَصَ ; (as in some copies of the K in art. سم ;) i. q. الوَزَغَةُ [The species of lizard described above, voce بُرْصٌ ]: (M, and so in the JK and K in art. وزغ :) or such as are large, of the وَزَغ [whereof وَزَغَةٌ is the n. un.]: (A, Msb:) or [one] of the large [sorts] of the وَزَغ : (S, K:) determinate, as a generic appellation: (S, TA:) As says, I know not why it is so called: (TA:) [the reason seems to be its leprous hue: see بُرْصٌ :] its blood and its urine have a wonderful effect when put into the orifice of the penis of a child suffering from difficulty in voiding his urine, (K, TA,) relieving him immediately; (TA;) and its head, pounded, when put upon a member, causes to come forth a thing that has entered into it and become concealed therein, such as a thorn and the like: (K:) the dual is سَامَّا أَبْرَصَ : (S, M, Msb, K:) and the pl. is سَوَامُّ أَبْرَصَ , (S, M, A, Msb, K,) ابرص having no dual form nor pl.; (M;) or, (K,) or sometimes, (Msb,) or if you will you may say, (S,) السَّوَامُّ , without mentioning ابرص ; and البِرَصَةُ ; (S, Msb, K;) and الأَبَارِصُ ; (S, M, A, Msb, K;) without mentioning سَامّ ; (S, Msb, K;) the last of these pls. being as though formed from a rel. n., [namely, أَبْرَصِىٌّ ,] although without [the termination] ة , like as they said المَهَالِبُ [for المَهَالِبَةُ ]. (M.) الأَبْرَصُ The moon. (A, Sgh, K.) [So called because of its mottled hue.] You say, بِتُّ لَا مُؤْنِسِى إِلَّا الأَبْرَصُ [I passed the night, none but the moon cheering me by its presence]. (A, TA.) حَيَّةٌ بَرْصَآءُ A serpent having in it, (K,) i. e., in its skin, (M, TA,) white places, distinct from the general colour. (M, K, TA.) أَرْضٌ بَرْصَآءُ Land bare of herbage; (A;) of which the herbage has been depastured (K, TA) in some places, so that it has become bare thereof. (TA.)