Core sense — thread, or string; the spinal cord of the neck; gossamergenerated
1[Bring] the خَيْط and the needle—أَدُّوا الخِيَاطَ وَالمِخْيَطَ
Thread, or string; a thread or string; synonymous with سِلْكٌ: the thing with which one sews. [Often used as a collective generic noun; ism waḥda with ة.]
خِيَاطٌ likewise means the thing with which a garment, or piece of cloth, is sewed, and so does مِخْيَطٌ, which besides that has another meaning, shared with the word just mentioned, namely "a needle".
The plural of خَيْطٌ is أَخْيَاطٌ [a plural of paucity], and خُيُوطٌ and خُيُوطَةٌ [both plurals of multitude].
[Give me] a single خَيْط—أَعْطِنِى خِيَاطًا
Said in a tradition.
نِصَاحًا is said in the same way.
[أَعْطِنَى خِيَاطًا وَنِصَاحًا may, however, mean: give me a needle and thread.]
1.1figurative · مجازthe نُخَاع [or spinal cord] of the neck—خَيْطُ الرَّقَبَةِ
such a one defended his blood—جَاحَشَ فُلَانٌ عَنْ خَيْطِ رَقَبَتِهِ
1.2figurative · مجاز — inferredthe true dawn—الخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ
the false dawn—الخَيْطُ الأَسْوَدُ
Both are mentioned in the Kur 2:183.
Or the whiteness of the dawn and the blackness of night, likened to a thread because of their thinness; or the whiteness of day and the blackness of night (A 'Obeyd); or the dawn that extends sideways and the dawn that rises high, or, as some say, the blackness of night.
Or what appears of the true dawn, which is the مُسْتَطِير, and what extends with it of the darkness of night, which is the dawn termed the مُسْتَطِيل; or what first appears of the dawn spreading sideways in the horizon, and what extends with it of the darkness of the last part of the night; or the dawn that rises high, filling the horizon, and the dawn that appears black, extending sideways (Aboo-Is-hák); or the real meaning is the day and the night.
الخَيْطَانِ also means the night and the day.
the night became distinct from the day—تَبَيَّنَ الخَيْطُ مِنَ الخَيْطِ
Or: what is termed الخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ became distinct from what is termed الخَيْطُ الأَسْوَدُ.
And خَيْطٌ مِنَ الصُّبْحِ is also said to mean a tint of the dawn. [See بَرِيمُ الصُّبْحِ in art. برم.]
Qur’ān 2:187 matched to Lane’s own quotation of it Lane cites “Kur ii. 183”
Qur’ān 2:187 Lane quotes this verse
أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ ٱلصِّيَامِ ٱلرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَآئِكُمْ ۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ ۗ عَلِمَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنكُمْ ۖ فَٱلْـَٔـٰنَ بَـٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مَا كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۚ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ ٱلْخَيْطُ ٱلْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ ٱلْخَيْطِ ٱلْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ ٱلْفَجْرِ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا۟ ٱلصِّيَامَ إِلَى ٱلَّيْلِ ۚ وَلَا تُبَـٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَـٰكِفُونَ فِى ٱلْمَسَـٰجِدِ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَPermitted to you, on the night of the fasts, is the approach to your wives. They are your garments and ye are their garments. Allah knoweth what ye used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them, and seek what Allah Hath ordained for you, and eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast Till the night appears; but do not associate with your wives while ye are in retreat in the mosques. Those are Limits (set by) Allah: Approach not nigh thereto. Thus doth Allah make clear His Signs to men: that they may learn self-restraint.Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)
1.3figurative · مجازwhat is called لُعَابُ الشَّمْسِ and مُخَاطُ الشَّيْطَانِ—خَيْطُ بَاطِلٍ
Z and IB explain the second of these as what comes out of the mouth of the spider. [The author of the TA says that on this explanation the term differs from لعاب الشمس; but in saying so he seems to be in error: both evidently mean gossamer.]
It was applied as a surname, or nickname, to Marwán Ibn-El-Hakam, because he was tall, and loose, or uncompact, in frame.
Or it means the air; synonymous with الهَوَآءُ [perhaps a miswriting for الهَبَآءُ, which occurs in another explanation below]; or light entering from an opening in a wall into a dark place.
the scattered هَبَآء [or atoms seen in the rays of the sun] that enter from an opening in a wall into a dark place when the sun is hot—خَيْطُ البَاطِلِ
such a one is of less account than the scattered atoms seen in the rays of the sun—فُلَانٌ أَدَقُّ مِنْ خَيْطِ البَاطِلِ
A proverb, applied to one who is in an abject state; thus related on the authority of Ahmad Ibn-Yahyà by Az and others, but by Sgh, wrongly, as أَرَقُّ مِنْ خَيْطِ بَاطِلٍ.
1.4
See also the word that follows, in two places.
Qur’ānic occurrences خَيْط
2:187
أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ ٱلصِّيَامِ ٱلرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَآئِكُمْ ۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ ۗ عَلِمَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنكُمْ ۖ فَٱلْـَٔـٰنَ بَـٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مَا كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۚ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ ٱلْخَيْطُ ٱلْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ ٱلْخَيْطِ ٱلْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ ٱلْفَجْرِ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا۟ ٱلصِّيَامَ إِلَى ٱلَّيْلِ ۚ وَلَا تُبَـٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَـٰكِفُونَ فِى ٱلْمَسَـٰجِدِ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَPermitted to you, on the night of the fasts, is the approach to your wives. They are your garments and ye are their garments. Allah knoweth what ye used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them, and seek what Allah Hath ordained for you, and eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast Till the night appears; but do not associate with your wives while ye are in retreat in the mosques. Those are Limits (set by) Allah: Approach not nigh thereto. Thus doth Allah make clear His Signs to men: that they may learn self-restraint.
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
Thread, or string; or a thread or string; syn. سِلْكٌ ; (S, K;) the thing with which one sews; (Msb;) [often used as a coll. gen. n.; n. un. with ة ;] and خِيَاطٌ [likewise] signifies the thing with which a garment, or piece of cloth, is sewed; as also مِخْيَطٌ ; besides having another signification, common to it with the last, namely “a needle; ” (K;) the pl. of خَيْطٌ is أَخْيَاطٌ [a pl. of pauc.] (IB, K) and خُيُوطٌ (S, Msb, K) and خُيُوطَةٌ [both pls. of mult.]. (S, K.) It is said in a trad., أَدُّوا الخِيَاطَ وَالمِخْيَطَ , meaning [Bring ye] the خَيْط and the needle. (TA.) And you say, أَعْطِنِى خِيَاطًا and نِصَاحًا , i. e. [Give thou to me] a single خَيْط . (AZ, TA.) [ أَعْطِنَى خِيَاطًا وَنِصَاحًا may, however, mean Give thou to me a needle and thread.] خَيْطُ الرَّقَبَةِ The نُخَاع [or spinal cord] of the neck. (S, K) You say, جَاحَشَ فُلَانٌ عَنْ خَيْطِ رَقَبَتِهِ , meaning Such a one defended his blood. (S, O, L.) الخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ and الخَيْطُ الأَسْوَدُ , mentioned in the Kur ii. 183, mean The true dawn, and the false dawn: (Msb:) or the whiteness of the dawn, and the blackness of night; (K, TA;) likened to a thread because of its thinness: (TA:) or the whiteness of day, and the blackness of night: (A 'Obeyd, Nh:) or the dawn that extends sideways, and the dawn that rises high, or, as some say, the blackness of night: (S:) or what appears of the true dawn, which is the مُسْتَطِير , and what extends with it of the darkness of night, which is the dawn termed the مُسْتَطِيل : (Mgh:) or what first appears of the dawn spreading sideways in the horizon, and what extends with it of the darkness of the last part of the night: (Bd:) or the dawn that rises high, filling the horizon, and the dawn that appears black, extending sideways: (Aboo-Is-hák:) or the real meaning is the day and the night. (TA.) الخَيْطَانِ also signifies The night and the day. (L in art. وسد .) تَبَيَّنَ الخَيْطُ مِنَ الخَيْطِ means [The night became distinct from the day: or] what is termed الخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ became distinct from what is termed الخَيْطُ الأَسْوَدُ . (TA.) And خَيْطٌ مِنَ الصُّبْحِ is also said to signify A tint of the dawn. (TA.) [See بَرِيمُ الصُّبْحِ in art. برم .] خَيْطُ بَاطِلٍ What is called لُعَابُ الشَّمْسِ and مُخَاطُ الشَّيْطَانِ , (S, TA,) which last is explained by Z and IB as meaning what comes forth from the mouth of the spider: (TA: [the author of which says that, accord. to this explanation, this term differs from لعاب الشمس : but in so saying he seems to be in error: both evidently signify gossamer:]) it was applied as a surname, or nickname, to Marwán Ibn-El-Hakam; because he was tall, and loose, or uncompact, in frame: (S:) or it signifies the air; syn. الهَوَآءُ [perhaps a mistranscription for الهَبَآءُ , occurring in another explanation hereafter]: (K:) or light entering from an aperture in a wall [into a dark place] (Th, K:) or خَيْطُ البَاطِلِ signifies the scattered هَبَآء [or atoms that are seen in the rays of the sun] entering from an aperture in a wall [into a dark place] when the sun is hot: and one says, فُلَانٌ أَدَقُّ مِنْ خَيْطِ البَاطِلِ [Such a one is less in estimation than the scattered atoms that are seen in the rays of the sun]; a prov., applied to him who is in an abject state; thus related, on the authority of Ahmad Ibn-Yahyà, by Az and others; but by Sgh, erroneously, أَرَقُّ مِنْ خَيْطِ بَاطِلٍ . (TA.) See also what next follows, in two places.