Quranic root
حور
ḥ · w · r
The root develops three principal orientations: color and whiteness, return or reversal, and circular motion or rotation.
From color and whiteness come descriptions of striking eye contrast, whitening, purity, and related material terms. From return come returning, decline after increase, answering, and reciprocal speech. The rotational branch appears in pivots, circular implements, and cavities.
- Maqāyīs · row 1471
- 5
- Quran-attested forms
- 5
- Quran senses
- 13
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
حَارَ
ḥāra
- 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 return; in the Quranic context, to be brought back or resurrected.
The attested imperfect occurs in a statement denying that a person will return to God or be raised after death.
- Lane · entry 16019
- Mufradāt · row 370
Selected Quran examples
Quran 84:14word 5
“he would return”
حَاوَرَ
ḥāwara
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form III
- Form
- III
- 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.
To exchange speech with someone; to engage in dialogue, colloquy, disputation, or verbal debate.
The construction takes a person as the interlocutor. It can include answering one another and, in a contentious setting, competing or contending through speech.
- Lane · entry 16021
- Mufradāt · row 370
Selected Quran examples
Quran 18:34word 7
“(was) talking with him”
Quran 18:37word 5
“was talking to him”
حَوَارِيٌّ
ḥawāriyyun
- Part of speech
- Noun · plural form حَوَارِيُّونَ
- Quran occurrences
- 5 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 devoted disciple, apostolic companion, or supporter; in the Quranic plural, the disciples and committed supporters of Jesus.
The supplied Quranic occurrences are plural and refer specifically to the disciples who answer Jesus and identify themselves as God's supporters.
- Lane · entry 16038
- Mufradāt · row 370
Selected Quran examples
Quran 3:52word 12
“the disciples”
Quran 61:14word 12
“to the disciples”
حُورٌ
ḥūrun
- Part of speech
- Noun · plural
- Quran occurrences
- 4 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.
Fair, beautiful-eyed companions characterized by striking contrast between the whiteness and darkness of the eyes.
The Quranic plural is explained as the plural of أَحْوَرُ and حَوْرَاءُ and is used in descriptions of the companions of Paradise.
- Lane · entry 16041
- Lane · entry 16028
- Mufradāt · row 370
Selected Quran examples
تَحَاوُرٌ
taḥāwurun
- Part of speech
- Verbal noun
- 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.
Mutual dialogue or exchange of speech; reciprocal answering and discussion.
The Quranic form denotes the dialogue of two parties and may include disputation or debate.
- Lane · entry 16023
- Mufradāt · row 370
Selected Quran examples
Quran 58:1word 14
“(the) dialogue of both of you”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 3:52ٱلْحَوَارِيُّونَthe disciples
- 5:111ٱلْحَوَارِيِّـۧنَthe disciples
- 5:112ٱلْحَوَارِيُّونَthe disciples
- 18:34يُحَاوِرُهُۥٓ(was) talking with him
- 18:37يُحَاوِرُهُۥٓwas talking to him
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 54 Classical meanings
حَارَ
Of an obstruction in the throat: to descend from its place and cease choking.
- Lane · entry 16019
حَارَ
To decrease, become defective or deficient, decline from a good state, perish, or change from one condition into another.
The change may be described as a return from abundance or good condition to deficiency or bad condition.
- Lane · entry 16019
حَارَ
To become confounded or perplexed and unable to find the right course.
- Lane · entry 16019
حَوِرَ
To possess or acquire the eye-quality called حَوَر.
The quality is the striking contrast of white and black in the eye described under حَوَرٌ.
- Lane · entry 16019
حَوَّرَ
To make someone or something return; figuratively, to turn back, frustrate, or reduce someone to a defective state.
- Lane · entry 16020
حَوَّرَ
To whiten clothes, food, or another substance by washing, treatment, or preparation.
- Lane · entry 16020
حَوَّرَ
To make a circular cauterized mark around an animal's eye.
The mark is associated with the whiteness produced at the cauterized place.
- Lane · entry 16020
حَوَّرَ
To prepare skins of the kind called حَوَرٌ.
The evidence is phrased tentatively and also associates the preparation with lining a boot with such skin.
- Lane · entry 16020
حَوَّرَ
To line a boot with prepared حَوَرٌ skin.
- Lane · entry 16020
حَوَّرَ
To make a lump of dough round for baking in hot ashes.
The action is performed with a مِحْوَر.
- Lane · entry 16020
أَحَارَ
To return a thing or give it back.
- Lane · entry 16022
أَحَارَ
To swallow an obstruction lodged in the throat.
- Lane · entry 16022
أَحَارَ
To return an answer or reply.
It may be used of answering a person who has spoken.
- Lane · entry 16022
أَحَارَ
Of a she-camel: to have a young camel of the kind called حُوَارٌ.
- Lane · entry 16022
اِحْوَرَّ
To become white.
The predicate may apply to a thing, body, eye-region, bread, or another object that becomes white.
- Lane · entry 16024
اِسْتَحَارَ
To desire someone to speak or answer; to interrogate or address something for an answer.
The object can be a person or, figuratively, a house addressed by a lover.
- Lane · entry 16025
حَوْرٌ
Return, decrease, or decline, especially a loss of increase or good condition after it.
It occurs in expressions for decline after prosperity or for retreating fortune, including the proverb about deficiency after deficiency.
- Lane · entry 16026
حَوْرٌ
Withdrawal or return from a community after having belonged to it.
This is a figurative explanation of the expression for returning or departing after being among the faithful.
- Lane · entry 16026
حَوْرٌ
The part beneath the wound or winding of a turban.
- Lane · entry 16026
حَوْرٌ
The bottom of a well or similar depression.
- Lane · entry 16026
حَوْرٌ
Figuratively, depth or penetration of intelligence.
The expression is associated with being deep in penetration, by comparison with a well's depth.
- Lane · entry 16026
حُورٌ
A return of flour given for the loan of a hand-mill.
This is a specialized substantive use in a traditional expression.
- Lane · entry 16027
حَوَرٌ
Whiteness.
This general use is distinct from the specialized eye-quality and from the Quranic plural noun.
- Lane · entry 16028
حَوَرٌ
A kind of prepared or tanned skin, including red, thin white, or sheep skins.
The exact preparation and color vary among the reported descriptions.
- Lane · entry 16028
حَوَرٌ
A kind of tree or white wood, identified in some usage with the plane-tree or white poplar.
- Lane · entry 16028
حَوَرٌ
The third star in the tail of Ursa Major.
- Lane · entry 16028
حَارَةٌ
A quarter or enclosed residential area of a town, city, or settlement.
It may consist of contiguous houses and lanes with a common entrance, or more generally an inhabited area with houses near one another.
- Lane · entry 16029
حَوْرَاءُ
A circular burn made with a hot iron.
The term is associated with the whiteness produced around the cauterized place.
- Lane · entry 16031
حُوَارٌ
A young camel, from birth until weaning.
The related compound عَقْرَبُ الحِيرَانِ names a winter scorpion associated with harm to such a young camel.
- Lane · entry 16034
حَوِيرٌ
An answer or reply.
It is used for a response returned to a speaker.
- Lane · entry 16036
حَوَارِيٌّ
One who whitens clothes by washing and beating them.
The Quranic plural title for Jesus's companions is lexically associated with this occupation in one explanation.
- Lane · entry 16038
حَوَارِيٌّ
A person cleared or purified from vice, fault, or defect; also something pure or unsullied.
The person may be one repeatedly tested and found free of faults; the substantive extension applies to purity of color or condition.
- Lane · entry 16038
حَوَارِيٌّ
A sincere friend, faithful adviser, assistant, or especially close supporter.
The term can be used for a select helper of a prophet and is extended to a prophet's committed supporters.
- Lane · entry 16038
حَوَارِيٌّ
A relation or kinsman.
- Lane · entry 16038
حَوَارِيَّةٌ
A white- or fair-complexioned woman; by extension, a woman of the towns, cities, or cultivated districts.
The reported applications connect the term with fairness, cleanness, or urban residence.
- Lane · entry 16038
حُوَّارَى
White or whitened flour, and by extension bread or food made white or pure.
- Lane · entry 16039
حَائِرٌ بَائِرٌ
A person in a defective and bad condition, or one perishing or dying.
This is a fixed paired expression.
- Lane · entry 16040
أَحْوَرُ
A certain star, identified in one usage as Jupiter.
- Lane · entry 16041
أَحْوَرُ
Figuratively, clear or sound intellect.
The figurative sense compares clarity of intellect with the clear contrast of an eye.
- Lane · entry 16041
أَحْوَرِيٌّ
A fair or white-complexioned man of the towns or villages.
- Lane · entry 16042
مِحْوَرٌ
A pivot, axle, or pin on which a pulley wheel turns; also a related iron piece of a buckle.
The term can extend to the wheel assembly united by or turning on the pivot.
- Lane · entry 16044
مِحْوَرٌ
An iron instrument for cauterizing.
- Lane · entry 16044
مِحْوَرٌ
A baker's wooden implement for expanding, preparing, and rounding dough.
It is associated with circular motion over the dough before baking in hot ashes.
- Lane · entry 16044
مَحَارَةٌ
A place that returns in a circle or a place where a return is made to the point of beginning.
- Lane · entry 16045
مَحَارَةٌ
A mother-of-pearl or oyster shell; also an oyster itself by extension.
- Lane · entry 16045
مَحَارَةٌ
A thing or depression in which water collects and remains or circulates.
- Lane · entry 16045
مَحَارَةٌ
A rounded cavity or socket, including the external ear cavity, palate, shoulder socket, hip socket, and specified parts of a hoof or camel's foot.
The particular anatomical referent is determined by the accompanying noun or context.
- Lane · entry 16045
مَحَارَةٌ
A vehicle or pannier-like structure resembling a هَوْدَج, including the ornamented pilgrim's محمل.
- Lane · entry 16045
مَحَارَةٌ
A line, side, region, quarter, or tract.
- Lane · entry 16045
مُحْوَرٌّ
The white froth or scum of a cooking pot; also a bowl whitened by camel hump or its fat.
- Lane · entry 16047
مُحَوَّرٌ
Dough whose surface has been moistened so that it becomes shining.
- Lane · entry 16048
مُحَوَّرٌ
Having eyes with clear white parts and intensely black black parts.
- Lane · entry 16048
مُحَوَّرٌ
A boot lined with skin of the kind called حَوَرٌ.
- Lane · entry 16048
مُحَوِّرٌ
A person possessing or dealing in white flour or bread of the kind called حُوَّارَى.
- Lane · entry 16049
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The root combines distinct lexical branches involving whiteness, return or decline, and rotation; a shared root does not make their form-level meanings interchangeable.
The public headword حَوَارِيٌّ is a normalized singular citation form for the Quranic plural حَوَارِيُّونَ.
The Quranic حُورٌ is presented with its eye-quality and Paradise-companion sense; other classical branches of حَوَرٌ and related forms are kept separate.