muḍāriʿـُيَفْعُلُ
Core sense — he felt it with his hand to test it; he spied into newsgenerated
1.1he felt it with his hand to test it, so as to form a judgment of it—جَسَّهُ بِيَدِهِ
Muḍāriʿ جَسُسَ; maṣdar جَسٌّ.
Also اجتسّهُ.
the physician felt him—جَسَّهُ الطَّبِيبُ
he felt his arm, or hand, to know if he was hot or cold—جَسَّ يَدَهُ
he felt the sheep, or goat, to know if it was fat or lean—جَسَّ الشَّاةَ
1.1.1figurative · مجازhe looked sharply, or intently, at him, or it, to investigate and see clearly—جَسَّهُ بِعَيْنِهِ
جَسٌّ is also sometimes done with the eye.
IDrd cites as an example a verse by 'Obeyd, or 'Abeed (I find it written without vowel signs), the son of Eiyoob El-'Amberee, in which occurs the expression جَسُّوهُ بِأَعْيُنِهِمْ; but Sgh says the right reading is حَسُّوهُ.
1.1.2figurative · مجاز — inferredhe traversed the land—جَسَّ الأَرْضَ
Aboo-Sa'eed El-Yeshkuree.
1.1.3figurative · مجازhe searched for, or inquired after, news or tidings—جَسَّ الأَخْبَارَ
he spied into news or tidings; he examined or scrutinized them—تَجَسَّسَهَا
he inquired after such a one—تجسّس فُلَانًا
Also تحسّس, which occurs in an unusual reading of verse 87 of chapter 12 of the Qur'ān. Or the first of these verbs means he sought after him for another, while this one means he sought after him for himself.
he sought for information about such a one—مِنْ فُلَانٍ
He searched for news repeatedly, or slowly and by degrees.
[he acted as a spy;] he inquired into, or spied into, things which others kept veiled out of disdainful pride or out of shame—تجسّس
تحسّس means he listened.
and do not spy on one another—وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا
Or the meaning here is: do not inquire into, or spy into, private circumstances; or, take what appears and leave what God has concealed. Mujáhid.
So used, in this last sense, in the Qur'ān 49:12, standing for تَتَجَسَّسُوا. Mujáhid.
he examined and spied out for them the circumstances of the people—اجتسّ لَهُمْ أَمْرِ القَوْمِ
Show Lane's original text
, (A, Mgh, K,*) or جَسَّهُ بِيَدِهِ , (S Msb,) aor جَسُسَ , (Mgh, Msb,) inf.n. جَسٌّ , (A, Mgh, Msb, K,) He felt it with his hand (S, A, Mgh, K) for the purpose of testing it, that he might form a judgment of it; (Mgh, Msb;) as also ↓ اجتسّهُ . (S, Msb, K.) You say, جَسَّهُ الطَّبِيبُ , (Mgh,) and جَسَّ يَدَهُ , (A,) The physician felt him, (Mgh,) and felt his arm, or hand, (A,) to know if he were hot or cold. (Mgh.) And جَسَّ الشَّاةَ He felt the sheep, or goat, to know if it were fat or lean. (A, Mgh.) جَسٌّ is also, sometimes, with the eye. (IDrd, S, Msb. *) You say, جَسَّهُ بِعَيْنِهِ (IDrd, S, A, K) He looked sharply, or intently, or attentively, at him, or it, for the purpose of investigation and clear perception. (K, TA.) IDrd cites as an ex. a verse (of 'Obeyd, or 'Abeed, [for I find it written without any syll. signs,] the son of Eiyoob El-'Amberee, TA,) in which occurs the expression جَسُّوهُ بِأَعْيُنِهِمْ : (S:) but Sgh says that the right reading is حَسُّوهُ . (TA.) جَسَّ الأَرْضَ He traversed the land. (Aboo-Sa'eed El-Yeshkuree, TA.) جَسَّ الأَخْبَارَ , (S, Msb, K,) and تَجَسَّسَهَا , (S, A, Msb, K,) He searched, or sought, for, or after, news or tidings; inquired, or sought for information, respecting news or tidings; searched or inquired or spied into, investigated, scrutinized, or examined, news or tidings: (S, K:) he searched, or sought, repeatedly, or leisurely and by degrees, for news or tidings. (Msb.) You say also, تجسّس فُلَانًا , and مِنْ فُلَانٍ He inquired, or sought for information, respecting such a one; as also تحسّس , which latter verb occurs in an extr. reading of verse 87 of ch. xii. of the Kur: or the former signifies he sought after him for another; and the latter, "he sought after him for himself:" or ↓ تجسّس signifies [he acted as a spy;] he inquired respecting, or searched or inquired or spied into, things which others veiled or concealed by reason of disdainful pride or of shame or pudency; and تحسّس , "he listened:" (TA:) in the last of the senses here assigned to it, the former verb is used in the Kur, xlix. 12, where it is said, ↓ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا , for تَتَجَسَّسُوا ; (Mujáhid, Bd, K;) ↓ or the meaning here is, and do not ye inquire respecting, or search or inquire or spy into, private circumstances: or take ye what appeareth, and leave ye what God hath concealed. (Mujáhid, K.) You also say, اجتسّ لَهُمْ أَمْرِ القَوْمِ He examined or spied into, and sought out, for them, the circumstances of the people. (Mgh.)