Core sense — a finger; a toe; a digit, a finger's breadth as a measuregenerated
1
A finger; and a toe. The same word appears also as أُصْبَعٌ, أُصْبُعٌ, إِصْبِعٌ, أَصْبِعٌ, إِصْبُعٌ, أَصْبَعٌ, أَصْبُعٌ and أُصْبِعٌ, the ء taking each of the three vowels and the ب likewise with each of the vowellings of the ء, and as أُصْبُوعٌ as well.
Of all these forms the first is the only one commonly known and the one approved by people of chaste speech; all are mentioned by Kr, and by Lh also on the authority of Yoo.
Of the feminine gender, or feminine and masculine, but generally feminine.
Plural of اصبع: أَصَابِعُ; plural of اصبوع: أَصَابِيعُ.
1.1[With the mention of them the fingers are bent]—بِهِمْ تُثْنَى الأَصَابِعُ
Meaning that they are reckoned as the best, or among the best, for the best are not many; said on a verse cited in the first paragraph of art. ثنى.
[See also two similar examples in the first paragraph of art. حنو and حنى.]
1.2figurative · مجاز — inferred[The pastor has a finger pointing at his cattle, or camels or sheep or goats]—لِلرَّاعِى عَلَى مَاشِيَتِهِ إِصْبَعٌ
Meaning that he has upon his cattle an impress of a good state or condition; that is, they are pointed at with the fingers because of their goodliness, fatness and good tending.
[See also a verse cited under صُلْبٌ.]
upon him is, from God, (acknowledged be his absolute supremacy,) an impress of a good state or condition—عَلَيْهِ مِنَ ٱللّٰهِ تَعَالَى إِصْبَعٌ حَسَنٌ
A proverb similar to the preceding saying; from Meyd.
he is good in respect of the impress upon his cattle [indicative of their state or condition]—إِنَّهُ لَحَسَنُ الإِصْبَعِ فِى مَالِهِ
1.3figurative · مجازsuch a one is treacherous, or perfidious—فُلَانٌ مُغِلُّ الإِصْبَعِ
1.4figurative · مجاز[He has a finger in this affair]—لَهُ إِصْبَعٌ فِى هٰذَا الأَمْرِ
1.5figurative · مجاز[The heart of the believer is between two of the fingers of God: He turns it about as He pleases]—قَلْبُ المُؤْمِنِ بَيْنَ إِصْبَعَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِ ٱللّٰهِ يُقَلِّبُهُ كَيْفَ شَآءَ
Said by the Prophet.
1.6figurative · مجاز — inferredHe will certainly make an end of it with one finger—إِنَّهُ يَأْتِى عَلَيْهِ بِإِصْبِعٍ وَاحِدَةٍ
The smallest of his fingers will suffice him for accomplishing it—إِنَّهُ يَكْفِيهِ بِصُغْرَى أَصَابِعِهِ
A man says this of a difficult affair, when he has been made to have recourse to a strong man able to bear his burden.
The ب thus prefixed to the agent is redundant, as in كَفَى بِٱللّٰهِ شَهِيدًا and many other instances.
1.7one of the surnames of the Devil—أَبُو الإِصْبَعِ
See صَبَعَهُ الشِّيْطَانُ above.
1.8figurative · مجاز — inferred[a prong, as resembling a finger]—إِصْبَعٌ
So in art. حفر and in other instances.
1.9figurative · مجاز — inferredcommon clinopodium, or wild basil; a sweet-smelling plant—أَصَابِعُ الفَتَيَاتِ
In the “Minháj” of Ibn-Jezleh written اصابع الفتيان [app. a mistranscription], and elsewhere اصابع البُنَيَّاتِ.
Called in Persian الفَرَنْجَمُشْك. It grows abundantly in the southern parts of Arabia, and no animal grazes on it.
1.10figurative · مجاز — inferreda species of grapes, black, long, like the acorn—أَصَابِعُ العَذَارَى
Likened to the dyed fingers of virgins; the bunch is about a cubit long, compact [so I render مُتَدَاخِس, supposing it to be similar to دخيس applied to herbage and the like] in the grapes; its raisins are good.
It grows in the Saráh.
1.11figurative · مجاز — inferredthe flowers of the hermodactylus—أَصَابِعُ هُرْمُسَ
The flowers are called فُقَّاح, and the plant سُورَنْجَان [or Hermodactylus (the Iris of Linnaeus?), now applied to meadow-saffron, a species of colchicum].
Its potency is like that of the سورنجان itself.
1.12figurative · مجاز — inferred[certain things] of the length of a finger, red—أَصَابِعُ فِرْعَونَ
Brought from the Sea of El-Ḥijáz; of proved efficacy for the speedy closing of wounds.
They resemble the مَرَاوِيد [or مَرَاوِد, to which كُحْل is applied].
1.13figurative · مجاز — inferredthe root of a certain plant, shaped like the hand—أَصَابِعُ صُفْرٌ
It is beneficial as a remedy for madness, or possession by devils, for poisons, and for the sting or bite of venomous reptiles and the like, and it dissolves thick excrescences.
The root is variegated with yellow and white, hard, and a little sweet; there is also a species of it yellow, dust-coloured, but without any white. So says Ibn-Jezleh.
1.14a digit, a finger's breadth: the width of six moderate-sized barley-corns—إِصْبَعٌ
Used as a measure.
It is the fourth part of the قَبْضَة; mentioned under جَرِيبٌ.
Show Lane's original text
and أُصْبَعٌ and أُصْبُعٌ and إِصْبِعٌ and أَصْبِعٌ (S, O, Msb, K) and إِصْبُعٌ and أَصْبَعٌ (O, Msb, K) and أَصْبُعٌ and أُصْبِعٌ , the ء being thus trebly vowelled, and the ب likewise (Msb, K) with every one of the vowellings of the ء , (K,) and أُصْبُوعٌ also, (Msb, K,) of all which forms the first is the [only] one commonly known and the one approved by persons of chaste speech, (Msb,) all mentioned by Kr, (K,) and by Lh also on the authority of Yoo, (TA,) A finger: and a toe: (MA, KL, &c.:) of the fem. gender, (Msb,) or fem. and masc., (S, O, Msb, K, *) but generally fem.: (O, Msb, K: *) pl. (of اصبع , MA) أَصَابِعُ and (of اصبوع , MA) أَصَابِيعُ . (MA, K.) One says, بِهِمْ تُثْنَى الأَصَابِعُ [With the mention of them the fingers are bent]; meaning that they are reckoned as the best, [or among the best,] for the best are not many. (M, on a verse cited in the first paragraph of art. ثنى .) [See also two similar exs. in the first paragraph of art. حنو and حنى .] And لِلرَّاعِى عَلَى مَاشِيَتِهِ إِصْبَعٌ [The pastor has a finger pointing at his cattle, or camels or sheep or goats]; meaning, [has upon his cattle] an impress of a good state or condition; (S, K, * TA;) i. e. they are pointed at with the fingers because of their goodliness and fatness and good tending. (TA.) [See also a verse cited voce صُلْبٌ .] And similar to this saying is the prov., عَلَيْهِ مِنَ ٱللّٰهِ تَعَالَى إِصْبَعٌ حَسَنٌ , meaning [Upon him is, from God, (acknowledged be his absolute supremacy,)] an impress of a good state or condition. (Meyd.) And one says also, إِنَّهُ لَحَسَنُ الإِصْبَعِ فِى مَالِهِ , meaning Verily he is good in respect of the impress upon his cattle [indicative of their state or condition]. (IAar, TA.) And فُلَانٌ مُغِلُّ الإِصْبَعِ Such a one is unfaithful, treacherous, or perfidious. (O, K, * TA. *) And لَهُ إِصْبَعٌ فِى هٰذَا الأَمْرِ [He has a finger in this affair]. (TA.) The Prophet said قَلْبُ المُؤْمِنِ بَيْنَ إِصْبَعَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِ ٱللّٰهِ يُقَلِّبُهُ كَيْفَ شَآءَ [The heart of the believer is between two of the fingers of God: He turneth it about as He pleaseth]. (O.) And a man says, in respect of a difficult affair, when he has been made to have recourse to a strong man, able to bear his burden, إِنَّهُ يَأْتِى عَلَيْهِ بِإِصْبِعٍ وَاحِدَةٍ [Verily he will make an end of it with one finger]: and إِنَّهُ يَكْفِيهِ بِصُغْرَى أَصَابِعِهِ [Verily the smallest of his fingers will suffice him for its accomplishment; the ب thus prefixed to the agent being redundant, as in كَفَى بِٱللّٰهِ شَهِيدًا and many other instances]. (O.) أَبُو الإِصْبَعِ is one of the surnames of The Devil. (TA. [See صَبَعَهُ الشِّيْطَانُ , above.]) [ إِصْبَعٌ signifies also A prong, as resembling a finger: so in the S and K in art. حفر , and in other instances.] أَصَابِعُ الفَتَيَاتِ , (O, TS, K,) in the “ Minháj ” of Ibn-Jezleh اصابع الفتيان , [app. a mistranscription,] and in the I, اصابع البُنَيَّاتِ , (TA,) [Common clinopodium, or wild basil,] the sweet-smelling plant called in Pers. الفَرَنْجَمُشْك , (AHn, O, K,) which grows abundantly in the southern parts of Arabia, and is not depastured by any animal. (AHn, O.) أَصَابِعُ العَذَارَى A species of grapes, (AHn, O, K,) black, (AHn, O,) long, like the acorn, likened to the dyed fingers of virgins; (AHn, O, K; *) the bunch thereof is about a cubit [in length], compact [so I render مُتَدَاخِس , supposing it to be similar to دخيس applied to herbage &c.,] in the grapes; its raisins are good; and it grows in the Saráh ( السَّرَاة ). (AHn, O.) أَصَابِعُ هُرْمُسَ The flowers ( فُقَّاح ) of the سُورَنْجَان [or Hermodactylus (the Iris of Linn.?) now applied to meadow-saffron, a species of colchicum]; (O, K;) the potency of which is like that of the سورنجان [itself]. (TA.) أَصَابِعُ فِرْعَونَ [Certain things] resembling the مَرَاوِيد [or مَرَاوِد with which كُحْل is applied], of the length of the finger, (K, TA,) red; (TA;) brought from the Sea of El-Hijáz; of proved efficacy for the speedy consolidation of wounds. (K.) أَصَابِعُ صُفْرٌ The root ( أَصْل ) of a certain plant of which the form is like the hand, (O, K,) variegated with yellowness and whiteness, hard, and having a little sweetness; and there is a species thereof yellow, with a dust-colour, but without whiteness: (O, TA:) so says Ibn-Jezleh: (TA:) it is beneficial as a remedy for madness, or diabolical possession, and for poisons, (K, TA,) and the sting, or bite, of venomous, or noxious, reptiles, or the like, and it acts as a dissolvent of thick excrescences. (TA.) As a measure, إِصْبَعٌ signifies [A digit; i. e. a finger's breadth;] the width of six moderate-sized barley-corns; (Msb voce جَرِيبٌ ;) the forth part of the قَبْضَة . (Mgh and Msb ibid.)