Core sense — dry, dried up; stiff, rigid, tough, hardgenerated
1figurative · مجازdry fire-wood—حَطَبٌ يَبْسٌ
Dry, or dried up, after having been moist, humid, or succulent; or rather, simply dry, or dried up; and also, [but perhaps figuratively,] stiff, rigid, tough, firm, resisting pressure, or hard. [See form 1.]
Plural يُبَّسٌ and يَبْسٌ, the latter being like رَكْبٌ as plural of راكِبٌ.
يُبْسٌ is a dialectal variant of يَبْسٌ; or يَبْسٌ is rather an ism jamʿ of يَابِسٌ, as is يَبَسٌ; or this last is used by poetic licence for يَبْسٌ.
يَبْسٌ means the same as يَابِسٌ, as do يَبَسٌ, يَبِسٌ, يَبِيسٌ, يَبْوسٌ, يَبَاسٌ and أَيْبَسُ.
Or يَبَسٌ means dry from its origin, never having been known moist, while يَبْسٌ is applied to a thing dry after having been known to be moist.
As to the path of Moses, [to which the first of these two adjectives is applied in the Kur. 20:79,] it had never been known as a path either moist or dry, for God only showed it to them created such; but the word is also read with sukoon to the ب, because, though it had not been a path, it was a place that had held water and had dried up. The latter reading is that of El-Hasan El-Basree; and El-Aamash read the word with kesr to the ب.
Th says this, as though the wood were dry naturally.
J says يَبَسٌ means a place dry after having been moist, and so in the passage of the Kur. mentioned above. Fei says it means a place that has had water in it which has gone away; or, as Az says, a path with no moisture in it.
ISd says يَبْسٌ and يَبَس mean a place that is dry; and so too when applied to land whose water and pasturage have dried up. The latter, so applied, also means hard, as does يَابِسٌ applied to a stone.
dry, or dried up, said of a plant or herbage—يَبيسٌ
يَابِسٌ is also sometimes used in this way, the former being of the measure فَعِيلٌ in the sense of the measure فَاعِلٌ.
Or it is applied to herbs, or leguminous plants, of the sort termed أَحْرَار [that are eaten without being cooked, or that are slender and succulent], and of the sort termed ذُكُور [that are hard and thick, or thick and rough]; or, to those herbs and leguminous plants that become scattered when they dry up, as also يُبْسٌ and يَبْسٌ; but not to what is dry of the حَلِىّ, صِلِّيَان and حَلَمَة.
Qur’ān 20:77 matched to Lane’s own quotation of it Lane cites “Kur. xx. 79”
Qur’ān 20:77 Lane quotes this verse
وَلَقَدْ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنْ أَسْرِ بِعِبَادِى فَٱضْرِبْ لَهُمْ طَرِيقًا فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ يَبَسًا لَّا تَخَـٰفُ دَرَكًا وَلَا تَخْشَىٰWe sent an inspiration to Moses: "Travel by night with My servants, and strike a dry path for them through the sea, without fear of being overtaken (by Pharaoh) and without (any other) fear."Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)
1.1figurative · مجازthe palsied person one half of whom is without sensation or motion—المَفْلُوجُ اليَابِسُ الشِّقِّ
a man as though dead and dried up from much intoxication—رَجُلٌ يَابِسٌ مِنَ السُّكْرِ
costive—ياَبِسُ الطَّبِيعَةِ
intoxicated so much as not to speak—سَكْرَانُ يَابِسٌ
a dry and lean she-ass—أَتَانٌ يَبْسَةٌ
a dry and lean she-ass—يَبَسَةٌ
a ewe, or she-goat, without milk—شَاةٌ يَبْسٌ
a ewe, or she-goat, without milk—يَبَسٌ
a woman who has no milk—إِمْرَأَةٌ يَبَسَةٌ
This appears to be the meaning.
As though the wine had dried him up by its heat.
Or whose milk has stopped and whose udder has become dry.
Plural يَبَسَاتٌ and أَيْبَاسٌ, and, as an ism jamʿ, يَابِسٌ [like جَامِلٌ and بَاقِرٌ]. From the Moheet.
a dry duct, meaning the penis—عِرْقٌ يَبِيسٌ
hair on which neither water nor oil has any effect—شَعَرٌ يَابِسٌ
This is the worst sort of hair.
dry sweat; or simply sweat—يَبِيسُ المَآءِ
a man having little good—رَجُلٌ يَابِسٌ
a man having little good—يَبِيسٌ
a woman having little good—اِمْرْأَةٌ يَابِسَةٌ
a woman having little good—يَبِيسٌ
a woman having little good—يَبَسٌ
Or in whom is no good; or who does not cause one to obtain any good.
between them two is disunion—بَيْنَهُمَا ثَرًى أَيْبَسُ
Qur’ānic occurrences يَابِس
6:59
وَعِندَهُۥ مَفَاتِحُ ٱلْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَآ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ ۚ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِى ظُلُمَـٰتِ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِى كِتَـٰبٍ مُّبِينٍWith Him are the keys of the unseen, the treasures that none knoweth but He. He knoweth whatever there is on the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf doth fall but with His knowledge: there is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered), but is (inscribed) in a record clear (to those who can read).
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
Dry, or dried up, after having been moist, humid, succulent, or the like: (A, Msb, K:) or, [rather,] dry, or dried up, or exsiccated: and also, [but perhaps tropically,] stiff, rigid, tough, firm, resisting pressure, or hard: [see 1:] (M:) pl. يُبَّسٌ (M) and يَبْسٌ , which latter is like رَكْبٌ as pl. of راكِبٌ : (ISk, S, Msb:) and يُبْسٌ is a dial. form. of يَبْسٌ : (A'Obeyd, S:) or يَبْسٌ is [rather] a quasi-pl. of يَابِسٌ , as is also يَبَسٌ : (M:) or this last is used by poetic license for يَبْسٌ : (TA:) also, (S, M,) يَبْسٌ signifies the same as يَابِسٌ , (S, M, Msb, K,) as also يَبَسٌ , (M,) and يَبِسٌ , (M, K,) and يَبِيسٌ , (K,) and يَبْوسٌ , (M,) and يَبَاسٌ , (TA,) and أَيْبَسُ : (K:) or يَبَسٌ signifies dry from its origin, not having been known moist: (K:) but يَبْسٌ is applied to a thing dry after having been known to be moist: (TA:) and as to the path of Moses, [to which the former of the last two epithets is applied in the Kur. xx. 79,] it had never been known as a path either moist or dry, for God only showed it to them created such; but the epithet is also read with sukoon to the ب , because, though it had not been a path, it was a place wherein had been water and which had dried up: (K, TA:) the latter reading is that of El-Hasan El-Basree: and El-Aamash read the word with kesr to the ب : (TA:) Th [however] says, (S,) you say حَطَبٌ يَبْسٌ , dry fire-wood, as though it were so naturally: (S, Msb:) [and J says,] يَبَسٌ signifies a place dry after having been moist; and so in the instance in the Kur. mentioned above: (S:) [and Fei says,] it signifies a place that has had in it water which has gone away; or, as Az says, a path in which is no moisture: (Msb:) [and ISd says,] يَبْسٌ and يَبَس signify a place that is dry: and in like manner, applied to land ( أَرْض ), of which the water and pasturage have dried up: and the latter, so applied, hard; (M;) as also يَابِسٌ applied to a stone: (A:) يَبيسٌ is [generally] applied to a plant, or herbage, as signifying dry, or dried up; (S, M, A, Msb, K;) as also [sometimes] يَابِسٌ ; (M, K;) the former being of the measure فَعِيلٌ in the sense of the measure فَاعِلٌ : (Msb:) or it is so applied to herbs, or leguminous plants, of the sort termed أَحْرَار [that are eaten without being cooked, or that are slender and succulent, &c.], (As, K,) and of the sort termed ذُكُور [that are hard and thick, or thick and rough, &c.]; (As, TA;) and [so As, in the TA; and so in some copies of the K; but in the CK, or] those herbs and leguminous plants that become scattered when they dry up; (As, K;) as also يُبْسٌ and يَبْسٌ ; (TA;) but not to what is dry of the حَلِىّ and صِلِّيَان and حَلَمَة . (As, TA.) [Hence,] المَفْلُوجُ اليَابِسُ الشِّقِّ The palsied of whom the half is without sensation and without motion. (Mgh.) And رَجُلٌ يَابِسٌ مِنَ السُّكْرِ (AHn) app. meaning A man as though he were dead and dried up in consequence of much intoxication. (M.) [And ياَبِسُ الطَّبِيعَةِ Costive.] And سَكْرَانُ يَابِسٌ Intoxicated so much as not to speak; as though the wine had dried him up by its heat. (M.) And أَتَانٌ يَبْسَةٌ (IAar, M) and يَبَسَةٌ (Th, M) A she-ass dry and lean. (M.) And شَاةٌ يَبْسٌ and يَبَسٌ (AO, S, M, K) A ewe, or she-goat, without milk: (AO, S, M, K:) or whose milk has stopped, and her udder become dry. (M.) And إِمْرَأَةٌ يَبَسَةٌ A woman who has no milk: pl. يَبَسَاتٌ and أَيْبَاسٌ and [quasi-pl. n.] يَابِسٌ [like جَامِلٌ and بَاقِرٌ ]. (TA, from the Moheet.) And عِرْقٌ يَبِيسٌ [A dry duct], meaning, penis. (Lh, M.) And شَعَرٌ يَابِسٌ Hair upon which no effect is produced by moistening with water nor with oil; (A, TA *;) which is the worst sort thereof. (TA.) And يَبِيسُ المَآءِ Dry sweat: (M, A:) or [simply] sweat. (AA, S, K.) And رَجُلٌ يَابِسٌ and يَبِيسٌ A man having little good: (A:) and اِمْرْأَةٌ يَابِسَةٌ and يَبِيسٌ (A, TA) and يَبَسٌ (S, K, TA) a woman having little good: (A:) or in whom is no good: (K, TA:) or who does not cause one to obtain any good. (S.) And بَيْنَهُمَا ثَرًى أَيْبَسُ Between them two is disunion. (A, TA.)