Quranic root
عبر
ʿ · b · r
The root centers on passing through or moving from one side or state to another.
From physical crossing and passage, the lexical field extends to travel, tears flowing, conveying meaning through speech, interpreting a dream by passing from its outward form to its meaning, and drawing a lesson from what is observed.
- Maqāyīs · row 3117
- Mufradāt · row 937
- 4
- Quran-attested forms
- 4
- Quran senses
- 9
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
عَبَرَ
ʿabara
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- Quran occurrences
- 1 occurrence
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
To interpret or explain a dream, including its eventual meaning or outcome.
Used with a dream or vision; the interpretation passes from its outward presentation to its underlying meaning.
- Lane · entry 1867
- Mufradāt · row 937
Selected Quran examples
Quran 12:43word 24
“interpret”
اِعْتَبَرَ
āiʿtabara
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form VIII
- Form
- VIII
- Quran occurrences
- 1 occurrence
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
To take warning or instruction from an observed event, drawing a lesson or inference from it.
In the Quranic imperative, the hearer is urged to compare what happened to others with what may happen to oneself and thereby take warning.
- Lane · entry 1868
- Mufradāt · row 937
Selected Quran examples
Quran 59:2word 38
“So take a lesson”
عَابِرُ سَبِيلٍ
ʿābiru sabīlin
- Part of speech
- Active participle
- Quran occurrences
- 1 occurrence
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
One passing along or through a way; a wayfarer or passenger.
In the Quranic construction عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ, it denotes passing through rather than remaining; lexical interpretation also allows the sense of a traveler.
- Lane · entry 1888
- Mufradāt · row 937
Selected Quran examples
Quran 4:43word 16
“(when) passing”
عِبْرَةٌ
ʿibrahun
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 6 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.
A lesson, admonition, or warning drawn from an observed event; an indication by which one moves from what is seen or known to what is unseen or understood.
Used for an event or circumstance that serves as an instructive example or evidence, especially by prompting reflection and guidance.
- Lane · entry 1877
- Mufradāt · row 937
Selected Quran examples
Quran 3:13word 27
“surely (is) a lesson”
Quran 24:44word 8
“surely is a lesson”
Quran 12:111word 5
“a lesson”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 3:13لَعِبْرَةًۭsurely (is) a lesson
- 4:43عَابِرِى(when) passing
- 12:43تَعْبُرُونَinterpret
- 12:111عِبْرَةٌۭa lesson
- 16:66لَعِبْرَةًۭ ۖ(is) a lesson
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 37 Classical meanings
عَبَرَ
To cross, pass over, or go from one side of something to the other; to travel or pass along a road.
Used especially of crossing a river or valley, and by extension of traveling along a way.
- Lane · entry 1866
عَبَرَ
To die or be dead.
A figurative extension in which death is conceived as crossing the road or bridge of worldly life.
- Lane · entry 1866
- Lane · entry 1888
عَبَرَ
To make birds fly away or to draw an omen from their flight, landing places, or cries.
A specialized construction concerning augury from birds.
- Lane · entry 1866
عَبَرَ
To examine, study, or read a book or writing silently in order to understand it, including by comparing one part with another.
Used of mental reading and considered comparison of written material.
- Lane · entry 1866
- Lane · entry 1888
عَبَرَ
To examine goods or coins to determine what they are or what they weigh.
Used for inspection or assessment of material objects, especially goods and dirhams.
- Lane · entry 1866
عَبِرَ
To shed tears; for the eye to water.
Used of a person or an eye in the act of weeping.
- Lane · entry 1866
عَبِرَ
To grieve, mourn, or be sorrowful; to be bereaved of a child or children by death.
The lexical field connects the emotional state with weeping, but grief may also be stated without an explicit claim that tears are present.
- Lane · entry 1866
عَبَّرَ
To make or convey someone across water or a river.
A causative construction requiring a person or thing conveyed across.
- Lane · entry 1867
عَبَّرَ
To express, declare, explain, or speak out what is in one's mind; to speak for another person.
May be used of a tongue, word, or person conveying another's intended meaning.
- Lane · entry 1867
عَبَّرَ
To weigh coins or gold, including by weighing individual units or a group of dirhams.
A specialized commercial or measuring use.
- Lane · entry 1867
عَبَّرَ
To show someone what makes the eyes weep or become hot.
A causative emotional construction; it can describe something that provokes tears.
- Lane · entry 1867
عَبَّرَ
To destroy someone.
A figurative causative use associated with exposing someone to what brings grief or distress.
- Lane · entry 1867
عَبَّرَ
To cause someone difficulty or distress; for an affair or event to become difficult or distressing to someone.
Used of an agent causing distress and of an affair characterized as distressing.
- Lane · entry 1867
اِعْتَبَرَ
To account for, esteem, regard, or take something into consideration.
A broader Classical use than the Quranic sense of taking warning; it includes treating something as relevant to an assessment, order, or valid condition.
- Lane · entry 1868
اِعْتَبَرَ
To wonder at or be astonished by someone or something.
A specialized construction with مِنْهُ.
- Lane · entry 1868
اِسْتَعْبَرَ
To desire to cross or pass over a river or the like.
A Form X desiderative construction.
- Lane · entry 1869
اِسْتَعْبَرَ
To ask someone to interpret or explain a dream, or to relate a dream for interpretation.
Used with a dream as the object of requested interpretation.
- Lane · entry 1869
اِسْتَعْبَرَ
To draw forth or take out dirhams, especially hastily.
Attested in a specialized saying about producing or paying out coins.
- Lane · entry 1869
عُبْرُ أَسْفَارٍ
A camel, group of camels, or person strong, vigorous, and effective in undertaking journeys; hence one fit for demanding work.
Applied to singular or plural and to masculine or feminine referents in the cited lexical usage.
- Lane · entry 1871
عُبْرٌ
Clouds that travel or pass swiftly and forcefully.
A specialized nominal use describing rapidly moving clouds.
- Lane · entry 1871
عُبْرٌ
Weeping with grief, or heat in the eye that causes it to weep.
Used in expressions for grief, tears, or an eye made hot by distress.
- Lane · entry 1871
عُبْرٌ
A bereaved person, especially a woman bereaved of her child or children by death.
A plural-like lexical use for the bereaved; the cited source specifically records women bereft of children.
- Lane · entry 1871
عَبْرَةٌ
A tear, the flow or overflow of tears, or grief that may exist without weeping.
The noun covers a tear before or while it flows, sobbing or repeated weeping, and, in one usage, inward grief without tears.
- Lane · entry 1876
عِبْرَةٌ
The account, estimation, or regard in which something is held.
A Classical nominal use found in expressions such as denying that something is to be taken into account.
- Lane · entry 1877
عِبْرٌ
The bank or side of a river or valley.
Used of either bank or side, including the two banks of a river.
- Lane · entry 1872
عُبْرِيٌّ
A lote tree growing on or near the bank of a river and characteristically nourished by its water.
Botanical descriptions differ on details such as size, thorns, and trunk; the river-bank association is the common lexical basis.
- Lane · entry 1878
عِبْرِيٌّ
Hebrew; a Hebrew person, especially a Jew.
Used as an appellation for the Hebrews or Jews.
- Lane · entry 1879
عِبْرِيٌّ
The Hebrew language.
Also expressed by the feminine language noun عِبْرِيَّةٌ.
- Lane · entry 1879
العَبُورُ
Sirius, a bright star.
The star is called العبور because it was conceived as having crossed the Milky Way.
- Lane · entry 1883
عَبِيرٌ
A perfume mixture, commonly compounded with saffron; in some usage, saffron itself.
Classical authorities differ between the mixture and saffron-only interpretations.
- Lane · entry 1884
عِبَارَةٌ
Speech, a passage in writing, or a word, expression, or phrase conveying meaning.
The term covers language passing from speaker to hearer and corresponding written wording.
- Lane · entry 1886
عِبَارَةٌ
An explanation or interpretation; clear and intelligible diction.
A nominal use derived from expressing or explaining what is intended.
- Lane · entry 1886
عِبَارَةٌ
A thing made a condition or taken into account as important.
A technical use in which something is treated as relevant to the validity or assessment of an affair.
- Lane · entry 1886
عَبَّارٌ
An interpreter or explainer of dreams.
An agent noun specialized for dream interpretation.
- Lane · entry 1887
عَابِرَةٌ
A form of language or expression that is allowable or current in usage.
A figurative extension of passing or having currency.
- Lane · entry 1888
مَعْبَرٌ
A place where a river is crossed; a ferry or a prepared bank used for crossing.
A place noun, plural مَعَابِرُ.
- Lane · entry 1890
مِعْبَرٌ
A thing by which or by means of which a river is crossed, such as a ferryboat or bridge.
An instrument noun for a means of crossing; plural مَعَابِرُ.
- Lane · entry 1891
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Quranic عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ construction supports both the sense of passing through and the closely related sense of a traveler; the definition does not impose a narrower contextual restriction.
The Form I Quran occurrence is displayed under the normalized citation form عَبَرَ, not the inflected QAC lemma تَعْبُرُ.
Classical authorities differ on whether عَبِيرٌ denotes saffron alone or a perfume mixture, and on some botanical details of عُبْرِيٌّ.
Unassigned or ambiguous evidence
A Lane note claims, without identified supporting authority, that اِسْتَعْبَرَ may be synonymous with اِعْتَبَرَ; this unsupported editorial possibility is not assigned as a meaning.