Core sense — an onion; any bulb; an iron helmet pointed in the middlegenerated
1having more coats, or coverings, than the onion—أَكْسَى مِنَ البَصَلِ
[The onion; allium cepa: or onions, collectively:] its meaning is well known; ism waḥda with ة.
This is a proverb.
1.1the bulb of the saffron, which is buried in the ground—بَصَلُ الزَّعْفَرَانِ
[Also any kind of bulb, or bulbous plant.]
It is like the بَصَل [or onion] commonly known.
scilla, or squill; particularly scilla maritima, or officinal squill—بَصَل الفَأْرِ
The same as الإِسْقِيلُ, الإِسْقَالُ and العُنْصَلُ, also written العُنْصُلُ, or بَصَلُ العنصل (in the entry زيزٌ, and so written by Golius). It goes by all these names, except perhaps السقال, at the present day.
Also called زِيزٌ and البَصَلُ البَرِّىُّ [the wild onion; but from what follows, it seems that there is a confusion here].
a certain edible bulb, Bulbus esculentus—بَصَلُ الذِّئْبِ
Also بصل الزير (Golius, on the authority of Zeyn El-Attár), or بصل الرند; the same as بلبوس, or البَلْبُوس with fet-h, [thus generally written, though it would seem to be correctly بُلْبُوس,] the leaves of which resemble those of the سَذَاب [or rue].
The بَلْبُوس is the wild onion (in Persian پِيَازْ صَحْرَائِى), in the entry بلبوس. [This last statement suggests that الزير and الرند may be miscopyings for الزِّيز, the زيز mentioned before.]
[بَصَلُ القىْءَ Bulbus vomitorius; mentioned by Golius, and by Dioscorides (book 2, chapter 201), as emetic and diuretic.]
1.2figurative · مجازa helmet of iron, pointed in the middle—بَصَلَةٌ
So called from being likened to the onion, mentioned first above.
Lebeed likens helmets to بَصَل.
Qur’ānic occurrences بَصَل
2:61
وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ لَن نَّصْبِرَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامٍ وَٰحِدٍ فَٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلْأَرْضُ مِنۢ بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّآئِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا ۖ قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ ٱلَّذِى هُوَ أَدْنَىٰ بِٱلَّذِى هُوَ خَيْرٌ ۚ ٱهْبِطُوا۟ مِصْرًا فَإِنَّ لَكُم مَّا سَأَلْتُمْ ۗ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلذِّلَّةُ وَٱلْمَسْكَنَةُ وَبَآءُو بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا۟ وَّكَانُوا۟ يَعْتَدُونَAnd remember ye said: "O Moses! we cannot endure one kind of food (always); so beseech thy Lord for us to produce for us of what the earth groweth, -its pot-herbs, and cucumbers, Its garlic, lentils, and onions." He said: "Will ye exchange the better for the worse? Go ye down to any town, and ye shall find what ye want!" They were covered with humiliation and misery; they drew on themselves the wrath of Allah. This because they went on rejecting the Signs of Allah and slaying His Messengers without just cause. This because they rebelled and went on transgressing.
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
[The onion; allium cepa: or onions, collectively:] what it signifies is well known: n. un. with ة . (S, M, Msb, K.) Hence the prov., أَكْسَى مِنَ البَصَلِ [Having more coats, or coverings, than the onion]. (TA.) [Also Any kind of bulb, or bulbous plant.] بَصَلُ الزَّعْفَرَانِ [The bulb of the saffron], which is buried in the ground, is like the بَصَل [or onion] commonly known. (Mgh.) بَصَل الفَأْرِ is the same as الإِسْقِيلُ and الإِسْقَالُ and العُنْصَلُ , (K in art. سقل ,) also written العُنْصُلُ , (K in art. عصل ,) or بَصَلُ العنصل , (KL voce زيزٌ , [and so as written by Golius,]) [Scilla, or squill; particularly scilla maritima, or officinal squill; called by all these names, except, perhaps, السقال , in the present day;] also called زِيزٌ , and البَصَلُ البَرِّىُّ [the wild onion; but from what follows, it seems that there is a confusion here]. (KL ubi suprà.) بَصَلُ الذِّئْبِ , and بصل الزير , (Golius on the authority of Zeyn El-Attár,) or بصل الرند , (so in the TA in art. بلبس ,) i. q. بلبوس Bulbus esculentus, (Golius, from Zeyn El-Attár,) or البَلْبُوس , with fet-h, [thus generally written, though it would seem to be correctly بُلْبُوس ,] the leaves of which resemble those of the سَذَاب [or rue]: (TA in art. بلبس :) the بَلْبُوس is the wild onion (in Pers. پِيَازْ صَحْرَائِى ). (KL voce بلبوس . [This last assertion suggests that الزير and الرند may be mistranscriptions for الزِّيز ; the زيز mentioned before.]) [ بَصَلُ القىْءَ Bulbus vomitorius; mentioned by Golius; and by Dioscorides, (l. ii. c. 201,) as being emetic and diuretic.] Also, (K,) or بَصَلَةٌ , (M,) A helmet (M, K) of iron, (K,) pointed in the middle; so called as being likened to what is first mentioned above. (M.) Lebeed likens helmets to بَصَل . (S.)