maṣdarجَوْسٌmuḍāriʿيَجُوسُ
Core sense — he searched hard for something; he trod on a placegenerated
1.1
He sought for a thing, or for news, with the utmost effort.
.
1.1.1they went through the midst of the houses and searched what was in them—جَاسُوا خِلَالَ الدِّيَارِ
حَاسُوا means the same: going and coming. Or the meaning in the Qur'ān is: they slew you amid your houses.
In the Qur'ān 17:5, with the maṣdar as above; تَخَلَّلُوهَا means the houses. They searched as a man searches for news.
they went to and fro among the houses in a sudden attack—اجتاسوا
they went round by night among the houses, looking for any they had not slain—جَوَسَانٌ
The maṣdar is as above. Or they were doing mischief.
اِجْتِيَاسٌ means the same as جَوَسَانٌ: going round about by night.
1.1.2it was trodden—جِيسَ
Said of anything. جَوْسٌ is said to be like دَوْسٌ.
such a one came stepping over the people—جَآءَ فُلَانٌ يَجُوسُ النَّاسَ
Synonym: يَتَخَطَّاهُمْ.
I came into it, and trod it—جُسْتُهُ
A'Obeyd: حُسْتُهُ has the same meaning; خَالَطْتُهُ وَوَطِئْتُهُ here means any place.
the lion trod upon them—جَاسَهُمُ الأَسَدُ
Or: he came into the midst of them and did mischief among them.
The maṣdar of the verb in this sense is said to be جَوْسٌ and جَوْسَآءُ, but the latter is probably a miscopying for جَوَسَانٌُ.
Qur’ānic occurrences Form 1
17:5
فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ أُولَىٰهُمَا بَعَثْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ عِبَادًا لَّنَآ أُو۟لِى بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ فَجَاسُوا۟ خِلَـٰلَ ٱلدِّيَارِ ۚ وَكَانَ وَعْدًا مَّفْعُولًاWhen the first of the warnings came to pass, We sent against you Our servants given to terrible warfare: They entered the very inmost parts of your homes; and it was a warning (completely) fulfilled.
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
, aor. يَجُوسُ , (S, TA,) inf. n. جَوْسٌ , (A, K,) He sought for, or after, (Zj, S, A, K,) a thing, (Zj, A, K,) or news, or tidings, (S,) with the utmost of his endeavour. (Zj, A, K.) [Hence,] جَاسُوا خِلَالَ الدِّيَارِ , (S, A,) in the Kur [xvii. 5], (TA,) inf. n. as above, (S, A, K,) They went through the midst of the houses ( تَخَلَّلُوهَا ), and sought for what was in them, as a man seeks for news, or tidings; as also اجتاسوا : (S:) or they went to and fro among the houses, in a sudden attack: (A, K:) or the meaning in the Kur is, they slew you amid your houses; and حَاسُوا signifies the same; going and coming: (Fr, TA:) and, inf. n. as above, (K,) and جَوَسَانٌ , (S, K,) they went round about (Zj, S, A, K) by night, (S,) among the houses, (Zj, A, K,) looking if any remained whom they had not slain, (Zj, TA,) or doing mischief: (A:) and اِجْتِيَاسٌ signifies the same as جَوَسَانٌ , (K, TA,) the going round about by night. (TA.) جِيسَ also signifies It (anything) was trodden: جَوْسٌ is said to be like دَوْسٌ : (TA:) and you say, جَآءَ فُلَانٌ يَجُوسُ النَّاسَ Such a one came stepping over the people; syn. يَتَخَطَّاهُمْ . (A, TA. *) And accord. to A' Obeyd, جُسْتُهُ and حُسْتُهُ both signify I came into it, and trod it; ( خَالَطْتُهُ وَوَطِئْتُهُ ;) meaning, any place. (TA.) You say also, جَاسَهُمُ الأَسَدُ The lion trod upon them: or came into the midst of them, and did mischief among them. (TA; [in which the inf. n. of the verb in this sense is said to be جَوْسٌ and جَوْسَآءُ : but the latter is probably a mistranscription for جَوَسَانٌُ .])