Core sense — a vulture; a vulture asterism; a certain idol; the frog of a hoofgenerated
1
Sometimes نِسْرٌ [agreeing with the modern general pronunciation] and نُسْرٌ (Sheykh-el-Islám Zekereeyà, in his commentary on the exposition of Bd), but this last is very strange.
[The vulture; apparently any vulture, whatever its species or variety, known to the Arabs, except the رَخَم or aquiline vulture; and said to be applied by some of the Arabs to the eagle; agreeing with the Hebrew, which is plainly applied to the former bird in Micah 1:16, and probably in other cases;] a certain bird, well known.
So called because it plucks a thing and swallows it, or pulls it out, or chases and captures it; the various readings being وَيَبْتَلِعُهُ and وَيَقْتَلِعُهُ and وَيَقْتَنِصُهُ.
It is said to have no مِخْلَب [or talon], but only the ظُفْر [or nail], like that of the domestic cock and hen, of the crow and the like, and of the رَخَمَة [or aquiline vulture].
The bird called in Persian كَرْكَشْ, which eats carcases until it is unable to fly, and is said to live a thousand years.
AHn asserts that the نسر is a bird of the kind called عِتَاق [a term applied to birds of prey, and to noble birds, in a wider sense than this name has in English falconry, and especially to eagles]; but [ISd says] I do not know how that is.
Plural, of the smaller number, أَنْسُرٌ; of the larger number, نُسُورٌ.
1.1figurative · مجاز — inferred[The Falling, or Alighting, Vulture]—النَّسْرُ الوَاقِعُ
The first is the bright star [a] in the constellation الشَّلْيَاقُ [or Lyra], likened by the Arabs to a vulture that has drawn its wings in to itself, as though it had alighted upon something.
[The Flying Vulture]—النَّسْرُ الطَّائِرُ
Two well-known stars or asterisms, which together are called النَّسْرَانِ [the Two Vultures]; each of them alone is also called النَّسْرُ and نَسْرٌ, being likened to the bird of that name.
The second consists of the three well-known stars [a and b and g] in the constellation العُقَابُ [or Aquila].
[The former rose heliacally, about the time of the Flight, in central Arabia, on the 25th of November, Old Style, with the Eighteenth Mansion of the Moon, which is a of Scorpio; and the latter on the 28th of December, Old Style: and both set together, anti-heliacally, at that period and in that part, on the 24th of July, Old Style. See نَوْءٌ and دَبُورٌ.]
2a certain idol, belonging to Dhu-l-Kelaa, in the land of Himyer—نَسْرٌ
As يَغُوثُ belonged to Medhhij, and يَعُوقُ to Hemdán, of the idols of the people of Noah, all of which are mentioned in the Kur-án, 72:22 and 23.
the same—النَّسْرُ
It occurs in a verse cited in the article عز.
Or a certain good man, who lived between Adam and Noah, and of whom, after his death, an image was made, which after a long time became an object of worship; like وَدٌّ and سُوَاعٌ and يَغُوثُ and يَعُوقُ, mentioned with it in the same place in the Kur-án.
3[The frog, or frush, of the hoof of a horse or ass or mule; thus called in the present day]—نَسْرٌ
A portion of tough flesh, [or rather a horny substance,] in the بطْن [or sole] of the solid hoof, as though it were a date-stone, [which it resembles in substance,] or a pebble.
Or the flesh of the solid hoof, which the poets liken to date-stones.
Or a portion of flesh, or of hard flesh, in the بَاطِن [or sole, or inner part,] of the solid hoof, as though it were a pebble or a date-stone; or what rises in the باطن of the hoof of the horse, from its upper part.
Or the باطن itself of the solid hoof.
Plural نُسُورٌ, which Aboo-Sa'eed explains as the prominences in the بَطْن [or sole] of the solid hoof, which are likened to date-stones because of their hardness, and which do not touch the ground.
[A solid hoof hard in the frog]—حَافِرٌ صُلْبُ النُّسُورِ
The singular and the plural are used indiscriminately here.
Qur’ānic occurrences نَسْر
71:23
وَقَالُوا۟ لَا تَذَرُنَّ ءَالِهَتَكُمْ وَلَا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلَا سُوَاعًا وَلَا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا"And they have said (to each other), 'Abandon not your gods: Abandon neither Wadd nor Suwa', neither Yaguth nor Ya'uq, nor Nasr';-
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
(S, M, Msb, K, &c.) and sometimes نِسْرٌ [agreeably with the modern general pronunciation] and نُسْرٌ , (Sheykh-el-Islám Zekereeyà, in his Comm. on the Expos. of Bd,) but this is very strange, (MF,) [The vulture; app. any vulture, whatever be its species or variety, known to the Arabs, except the رَخَم , or aquiline vulture; and said to be applied by some of the Arabs to the eagle; (see also نُسَارِيَّةٌ ;) agreeing with the Hebrew , which is plainly applied to the former bird in Micah, i. 16, and probably in other instances;] a certain bird, (S, M, A, Msb, K,) well known; (A, Msb;) so called because it plucks ( يَنْسُِرُ ) a thing, and swallows it, (A, and so in some copies of the K,) or, and pulls it out (so in some copies of the K,) or, and chases and captures it; (so in some copies of the K; the various readings being وَيَبْتَلِعُهُ and وَيَقْتَلِعُهُ and وَيَقْتَنِصُهُ ;) it is said that it has no مِخْلَب [or talon], but only the ظُفْر [or nail], like that of the domestic cock and hen, and of the crow and the like, and of the رَخَمَة [or aquiline vulture]: (S:) the bird called in Persian كَرْكَشْ , which eats carcases until it is unable to fly, and is said to live a thousand years: (Kzw:) AHn asserts, that the نسر is a bird of the description called عِتَاق ; [which is a term applied to birds of prey, and to noble birds, (in a sense wider than that in which this appellation is used in English falconry,) and especially to eagles;] but [ISd says] I know not how that is: (M:) pl. (of pauc., S) أَنْسُرٌ and (of mult., S) نُسُورٌ . (S, M, Msb, K.) النَّسْرُ الوَاقِعُ [The Falling, or Alighting, Vulture,] and النَّسْرُ الطَّائِرُ [The Flying Vulture,] are two stars or asterisms, (S, * M, A, Msb, K,) well-known, (M,) which together are called النَّسْرَانِ [the Two Vultures], (M, A,) and each of which alone is called النَّسْرُ (M, Msb, K) and نَسْرٌ ; (M;) being likened to the bird so named: (M:) the former is the bright star [a] in the constellation الشَّلْيَاقُ [or Lyra] likened by the Arabs to a vulture ( نسر ) that has contracted its wings to itself, as though it had alighted upon something: and the latter consists of the three well-known stars [a and b and g] in the constellation العُقَابُ [or Aquila]: (Kzw:) [The former rose heliacally, about the epoch of the Flight, in central Arabia, on the 25th of November, O. S., with the Eighteenth Mansion of the Moon, which is a of Scorpio; and the latter, on the 28th of December, O. S.: and both set, together, anti-heliacally, at that period and in that part, on the 24th of July, O. S. See نَوْءٌ , and دَبُورٌ .] نَسْرٌ (S, M, Msb) and النَّسْرُ , (S, M, K,) the latter occurring in a verse cited in art. عز , (S,) A certain idol, (S, M, Msb, K,) belonging to Dhu-l-Kelaa, (S, Msb, K,) in the land of Himyer, (S, K,) as يَغُوثُ did to Medhhij, and يَعُوقُ to Hemdán, of the idols of the people of Noah, (S,) all of which are mentioned in the Kur, lxxii. 22 and 23: (S, M:) or a certain good man, who lived between Adam and Noah, and of whom, after his death, was made an image, which, after a long time, became an object of worship; like وَدٌّ and سُوَاعٌ and يَغُوثُ , and يَعُوقُ , mentioned therewith in the Kur, ubi supra. (Bd.) Also, نَسْرٌ [The frog, or frush, of the hoof of a horse or ass or mule; thus called in the present day;] a portion of tough flesh, [or rather a horny substance,] in the بطْن [or sole] of the solid hoof, as though it were a datestone, [which it resembles in substance,] or a pebble: (S:) or the flesh of the solid hoof, which the poets liken to date-stones: (T:) or a portion of flesh, (K,) or of hard flesh, (M,) in the بَاطِن [or sole, or inner part,] of the solid hoof, (M, K, TA,) as though it were a pebble, or a date-stone, (TA:) or what rises in the باطن of the hoof of the horse, from, or of, the upper part thereof: (M, K:) or the باطن itself of the solid hoof: (M:) pl. نُسُورٌ , (M, K,) which Aboo-Sa'eed explains as signifying the prominences in the بَطْن [or sole] of the solid hoof, which are likened to date-stones because of their hardness, and which do not touch the ground. (TA.) Hence the saying, حَافِرٌ صُلْبُ النُّسُورِ [A solid hoof hard in the frog: the sing. and pl. being used indiscriminately]. (TA.)