Skip to content
Pray for the Truth

Quranic root

ضمم

ḍ · m · m

The root denotes bringing two or more things into conjunction, mutual fit, or close association.

From joining things together, the lexicon develops senses of gathering groups, drawing something toward another thing or oneself, compacting or enclosing, reciprocal closeness, and figurative appropriation.

  • Maqāyīs · row 2946
  • Mufradāt · row 878
1
Quran-attested forms
1
Quran senses
2
Quran occurrences

Forms in the Quran

The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.

ضَمَّ

ḍamma

Part of speech
Verb · Form I
Form
I
Quran occurrences
2 occurrences

Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.

  1. To draw or bring one thing close to another; to join or gather them together.

    In the Quranic imperative, the construction with إِلَى expresses drawing the hand toward the wing or drawing the wing toward oneself, that is, bringing the bodily parts close together.

    • Lane · entry 17942
    • Mufradāt · row 878
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 20:22word 1

    And draw near

    Quran 28:32word 10

    And draw

Occurrences in the Quran

Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.

  • 20:22وَٱضْمُمْAnd draw near
  • 28:32وَٱضْمُمْAnd draw
View all 2 occurrences

Broader Classical Arabic meanings

Recorded for this root in the Classical lexicons beyond its Quran usage. These are secondary to the Quran senses above.

Show 40 Classical meanings
  • ضَمَّهُ

    To gather or collect things or people into a group, and to join one thing to another.

    Also used of people collecting themselves or becoming gathered.

    • Lane · entry 17942
  • ضَمَّهُ

    To embrace or press someone to the bosom.

    A bodily application of drawing one person close to another.

    • Lane · entry 17942
  • ضَمَّهُ

    To compact, compress, or contract something by drawing its parts together.

    Includes the drawing together of parts or extremities.

    • Lane · entry 17942
  • ضَمَّهُ

    To compose or reorganize what is scattered or disordered.

    Figurative use, especially of affairs or circumstances.

    • Lane · entry 17942
  • ضُمَّ جَنَاحَكَ عَنِ النَّاسِ

    To be gentle, courteous, accommodating, or easy to deal with.

    An idiomatic figurative expression involving contracting one's side or wing from people.

    • Lane · entry 17942
  • ضَمَّهُ

    To comprise or enclose something, or to grasp it; with property, to take all or part of it.

    The object may be something enclosed or grasped, or property taken to oneself.

    • Lane · entry 17942
  • ضَامَّهُ

    To draw near to, become close to, or become conjoined with another.

    Form III may also describe remaining conjoined with someone while engaged in one affair, or a thing becoming adjoined to another.

    • Lane · entry 17943
  • أَضْمَمَهُ

    To make a person or thing accompanied by another, or to append one thing to another.

    Includes making a written item accompany or comprise another item.

    • Lane · entry 17944
  • تَضَمَّمَهُ

    To take or devour something altogether.

    The action is directed toward consuming or taking the whole of the object.

    • Lane · entry 17945
  • تَضَامُّوا

    To draw near to one another or become mutually conjoined.

    A reciprocal Form VI construction describing members becoming close together.

    • Lane · entry 17946
  • تَضَامَّ فِي سُجُودِهِ وَجُلُوسِهِ

    To draw oneself together physically.

    Used of compacting the body in prostration or sitting during prayer.

    • Lane · entry 17946
  • اِنْضَمَّ

    To become drawn, brought, or gathered together; to become contracted.

    Describes a thing or group becoming collected or drawn together.

    • Lane · entry 17947
  • اِنْضَمَّ إِلَيْهِ

    To join oneself to, attach oneself to, or resort to someone or something.

    The construction with إِلَى can express betaking oneself or repairing to the object.

    • Lane · entry 17947
  • اِنْضَمَّ عَلَيْهِ

    To fold around, infold, or enclose something.

    The construction with عَلَى describes something becoming drawn together upon or around the object.

    • Lane · entry 17947
  • اِضْطَمَّ

    To draw, bring, or gather something to oneself.

    Form VIII uses ط in place of ت because of the preceding ض.

    • Lane · entry 17948
  • اِضْطَمَّ

    To draw close together, or to press and crowd upon someone.

    The expression may be reciprocal or may describe people pressing together upon an object or person.

    • Lane · entry 17948
  • اِضْطَمَّ عَلَيْهِ

    To comprise or enclose something.

    Used of an enclosing structure, such as ribs enclosing what is within them.

    • Lane · entry 17948
  • ضَمْضَمَ عَلَى المَالِ

    To take or appropriate all the property, drawing it to oneself.

    A reduplicated Form I expression emphasizing comprehensive taking.

    • Lane · entry 17949
  • ضَمْضَمَ

    To encourage one's ardor or become courageous in heart.

    A lexical use applied to a person.

    • Lane · entry 17949
  • ضَمْضَمَ

    Of a lion, to roar or utter a cry.

    The associated verbal noun is ضَمْضَمَةٌ.

    • Lane · entry 17949
  • ضَمَّةٌ

    An embrace.

    A noun of instance or occurrence derived from the embracing sense of ضَمَّ.

    • Lane · entry 17952
  • ضَمَّةٌ

    A group of horses assembled from different quarters for a race.

    The collection is named for the horses being assembled together.

    • Lane · entry 17952
  • ضِمَامٌ

    A thing, thread, string, cord, or similar object used to draw one thing to and join it to another.

    The item functions as a means of attachment or conjunction.

    • Lane · entry 17954
  • ضَمُومٌ

    A valley running between two long hills, or a valley with water flowing between them.

    The exact nuance differs in the transmitted explanations, but the term denotes the intervening valley.

    • Lane · entry 17955
  • ضَمِيمٌ

    An adjunct or associate attached to another person.

    Used of one person made the companion or adjunct of another.

    • Lane · entry 17956
  • ضِمَامَةٌ

    One of the two sides or boards that hold and enclose a book, saddle, or camel saddle.

    Usually used in the dual in expressions for the paired enclosing sides.

    • Lane · entry 17957
  • ضَمَّامٌ

    One who collects seed-produce.

    An occupational or agent noun.

    • Lane · entry 17958
  • ضَامَّةٌ

    A musterer or gatherer of a people or group.

    A substantivized feminine form used for the person who assembles a group.

    • Lane · entry 17960
  • ضَامَّةٌ

    A want or object of want that brings a person to have recourse to something.

    An idiomatic nominal use describing what draws someone toward a resource or course of action.

    • Lane · entry 17960
  • ضَمْضَمٌ

    A lion that grasps everything.

    The description emphasizes the lion's seizing or taking hold of whatever it encounters.

    • Lane · entry 17961
  • ضَمْضَمٌ

    Angry, bold, or daring; also an angry lion.

    The human application is to a man; the animal application is to a lion.

    • Lane · entry 17961
  • ضُمَضِمٌ

    Extremely niggardly.

    An intensive descriptive use.

    • Lane · entry 17962
  • ضَمْضَامٌ

    One who takes or gets everything within his grasp, drawing it to himself.

    An intensive agent noun describing comprehensive appropriation.

    • Lane · entry 17964
  • ضُمَاضِمٌ

    One who eats excessively, appropriates food to himself, or eats without becoming satiated.

    The term may emphasize either inordinate appetite or exclusive appropriation.

    • Lane · entry 17965
  • ضُمَاضِمٌ

    A niggardly man.

    A descriptive human use distinct from the appetite-related use.

    • Lane · entry 17965
  • إِضْمَامَةٌ

    A bundle or joined collection, especially of books or writings.

    The plural أَضَامِيمُ is used for such bundles or collections.

    • Lane · entry 17966
  • إِضْمَامَةٌ

    A company or collection of people, horses, or the like brought together from different groups.

    The people are mixed rather than belonging to one stock; the same idea is applied to collections of horses.

    • Lane · entry 17966
  • أَضَامِيمُ

    Stones or collections of stones.

    A plural use recorded for the term in contexts involving grouped stones.

    • Lane · entry 17966
  • مَضَمٌّ

    A place where military forces assemble.

    A place noun referring to the gathering of troops.

    • Lane · entry 17967
  • مُنْضَمٌّ

    Lean or slender, including lean and lank in the belly.

    A figurative descriptive use explained as if one part were drawn and joined to another.

    • Lane · entry 17969

Cautions

Points that affect how this root should be read.

  • The Quranic occurrences are imperative forms; the public headword is normalized to the Form I perfect ضَمَّ.

Unassigned or ambiguous evidence

  • lane-unit:Dmm:17951:g1:main reports a severe-calamity meaning but says the form is probably a mistranscription and should correctly be written with ص.

  • lane-unit:Dmm:17961:g1:sub3 reports a bulky or corpulent meaning while indicating that the form may be written with unpointed ص; it is therefore not assigned confidently to ضمم.