Quranic root
صبب
ṣ · b · b
The root centers on pouring or letting something flow out, especially from above.
From pouring, the lexical field extends to downward flow and descent, things rushing or descending upon others, gathered portions imagined as flowing together, and remnants understood as what has been poured out or remains after pouring.
- Maqāyīs · row 2745
- Mufradāt · row 811
- 2
- Quran-attested forms
- 3
- Quran senses
- 5
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
صَبَّ
ṣabba
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- 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.
To pour out, pour forth, or cause a liquid or other substance to flow down.
Used transitively for pouring something out or down, including a substance poured from above onto a recipient. Voice and aspect vary across the Quranic occurrences.
- Lane · entry 25204
- Mufradāt · row 811
Selected Quran examples
To pour punishment or affliction upon someone; to inflict it heavily.
A figurative construction with عَلَى and an object such as punishment or a destructive visitation; it extends the image of something poured down upon its target.
- Lane · entry 25204
- Mufradāt · row 811
Selected Quran examples
Quran 89:13word 1
“So poured”
صَبّ
ṣabb
- 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.
Pouring out or forth; a pouring.
A verbal noun used to intensify or characterize the act of pouring; in the Quranic context it describes rain being poured abundantly.
- Lane · entry 25212
- Mufradāt · row 811
Selected Quran examples
Quran 80:25word 4
“(in) abundance”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 22:19يُصَبُّWill be poured
- 44:48صُبُّوا۟pour
- 80:25صَبَبْنَا[We] poured
- 80:25صَبًّۭا(in) abundance
- 89:13فَصَبَّSo poured
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 53 Classical meanings
صَبَّ
To pay down or hand over a price or sum of money at once.
A figurative transitive use.
- Lane · entry 25204
صَبَّ
To lower or let down a rope into a well.
A construction used when lowering a rope to draw water.
- Lane · entry 25204
صَبَّ
To bend down the head.
An attested expression associated with prayer.
- Lane · entry 25204
صَبَّ
To put the legs into shackles; to shackle.
Used in the passive expression for a person's legs being put into fetters.
- Lane · entry 25204
صَبَّ
To put on or clothe oneself with a coat of mail.
The object is armor or a coat of mail, which is put onto oneself or another person.
- Lane · entry 25204
صَبَّ
To throw oneself upon someone.
A figurative construction with عَلَيْهِ expressing a forceful rush or attack.
- Lane · entry 25204
صَبَّ
To pour forth wealth or benefit to someone.
A figurative use in which wealth is treated as something poured toward its recipient.
- Lane · entry 25204
صُبَّ
To be annihilated, made to pass away, or done away with.
A passive or quasi-passive use said of a person or thing; this Classical use is distinct from literal pouring.
- Lane · entry 25204
صَبَّ
To descend into a valley.
An assumed figurative extension of downward flow, used with a valley or similar declivity.
- Lane · entry 25204
صَبَّ
To dart, stoop, or rush down upon a target.
Used of a serpent, hawk, falcon, or wolf rushing upon prey or another target.
- Lane · entry 25204
صَبَّ
To be overcome by passionate love, attachment, desire, or ardor.
Used with إِلَى or بِـ for intense desire or tender attachment toward someone or something.
- Lane · entry 25204
أَصَبَّ
To take one's way down a declivity or sloping place.
Form IV, said of a company of people.
- Lane · entry 25205
تَصَابَبَ
To drink the remainder of liquid in a vessel.
Used of water, milk, or another beverage remaining in a container.
- Lane · entry 25207
تَصَابَبَ
To outlive someone or something.
A figurative construction likening the remaining span of life to the last liquid in a vessel.
- Lane · entry 25207
اِنْصَبَّ
To pour or flow out, forth, or down.
The intransitive Form VII is used of water, sweat, blood, and similar fluids descending or flowing; it can also suggest repeated or abundant flow.
- Lane · entry 25208
اِنْصَبَّ
To collect or assemble at a water source.
An assumed figurative use said of people coming together at water.
- Lane · entry 25208
اِنْصَبَّ
To slope or descend downward.
Said of a place, ground, or similar surface.
- Lane · entry 25208
اِنْصَبَّ
To incline toward diversion or amusement.
A figurative construction with إِلَى describing a person's inclination.
- Lane · entry 25208
اِصْطَبَّ
To pour out liquid for oneself.
Form VIII, used for drawing water from a waterskin or pouring oneself a cup.
- Lane · entry 25209
صَبْصَبَ
To annihilate, do away with, or disperse something.
A special reduplicated formation; the object may be a thing, an army, property, or wealth.
- Lane · entry 25210
صَبْصَبَ
To scatter or disperse an army, property, or wealth.
A specific extension of destroying or breaking up what is gathered.
- Lane · entry 25210
تَصَبْصَبَ
To pass or go away, or become annihilated.
Said of a thing; of night, day, or heat, it can mean that most of it has passed away, leaving only a small portion.
- Lane · entry 25211
تَصَبْصَبَ
To become reduced in quantity.
Said of what remains in a waterskin or milk-skin.
- Lane · entry 25211
تَصَبْصَبَ
To become dispersed or scattered.
Said of a company of people.
- Lane · entry 25211
تَصَبْصَبَ
To become very bold, daring, adverse, or hostile.
Used of a person, especially with عَلَيْنَا for hostility toward us.
- Lane · entry 25211
تَصَبْصَبَ
To become intensely hot.
Said of a day.
- Lane · entry 25211
صَبّ
Pouring forth or poured forth, used as an epithet for water.
An adjectival or epithet use corresponding to pouring or being poured; it is distinct from the verbal-noun function of the Quranic nominal occurrence.
- Lane · entry 25212
صَبّ
A downward or descending blow with the edge of a sword.
Used in the expression ضَرَبَهُ ضَرْبًا صَبًّا.
- Lane · entry 25212
صَبّ
In a numerical expression, a quantity below a stated number, or according to another reported usage, above it.
A disputed idiomatic usage in expressions such as ضَرَبَهُ مِائَةً فَصَبًّا; the direction of comparison is reported differently.
- Lane · entry 25212
صَبّ
Affliction or trial poured upon someone from above.
A figurative nominal construction describing the descent of hardship.
- Lane · entry 25212
صَبّ
A person affected by passionate love, attachment, desire, or tender ardor.
An epithet, with feminine and plural forms attested in Classical usage.
- Lane · entry 25212
صُبّ
In a reported idiom, serpents or companies rushing or pouring upon one another.
The interpretation and derivation are disputed: the expression has been explained of serpents darting down to bite, or of companies pouring into mutual slaughter.
- Lane · entry 25213
صُبَّة
A quantity or mass of wheat, food, or similar material poured out together.
The word can denote a collected quantity formed by pouring material together.
- Lane · entry 25214
صُبَّة
A food cloth or article on which food is placed.
A reported naming connection based on food being poured into or onto it.
- Lane · entry 25214
صُبَّة
A company, detached group, flock, herd, or small collected portion of property or goods.
Used of people, horses, camels, sheep, goats, money, wheat, food, or a small portion of wealth; exact numerical ranges vary by report.
- Lane · entry 25214
صُبَّة
A part or portion of the night.
Used in the expression for a portion of the night having passed.
- Lane · entry 25214
صَبَب
The downward descent of a river, rivulet, channel of water, or road.
The noun describes movement down a declivity.
- Lane · entry 25215
صَبَب
A declivity, sloping ground, or a stretch of sand that descends or pours downward.
A place or surface down which one descends; plural forms are also reported.
- Lane · entry 25215
صَبُوب
Pouring, flowing, or descending; a form with an intensive sense of such flow.
An adjectival form related to pouring out, forth, or down.
- Lane · entry 25217
صَبِيب
Water poured or flowing forth.
The word may function adjectivally or as a substantive for poured-out water.
- Lane · entry 25219
صَبِيب
Blood or sweat poured or flowing forth.
These are reported substantive uses for what flows out of the body.
- Lane · entry 25219
صَبِيب
An expressed plant juice or red dye used for coloring.
Reported identifications include dragon's-blood juice, sesame- or henna-leaf juice, safflower, and several dyeing plants.
- Lane · entry 25219
صَبِيب
Hoar-frost.
An independent Classical nominal use attested in a description of the sky.
- Lane · entry 25219
صَبِيب
Good or excellent honey.
A reported substantive use.
- Lane · entry 25219
صَبِيب
The extremity of a sword, especially the end associated with its flowing or cutting action.
The expression may also refer to the sword's flow or discharge more generally.
- Lane · entry 25219
صَبَابَة
Excessive love, attachment, desire, or tender ardor.
A substantive corresponding to the passionate-love use of صَبَّ and صَبّ.
- Lane · entry 25220
صُبَابَة
A small remainder of water, milk, wine, or another beverage left in a vessel.
Extended metaphorically to a remaining portion of life or another remnant.
- Lane · entry 25221
صَبْصَب
Thick, large, and strong.
An epithet applied especially to a camel.
- Lane · entry 25223
صَبْصَاب
A hard or severe journey, especially one without delay, interruption, or flagging.
Used of journeys described as قَرَب or خِمْس.
- Lane · entry 25224
صَبْصَاب
What remains of a thing, or what is poured out from it.
Said especially of the remainder or discharge from a waterskin or milk-skin.
- Lane · entry 25224
الأَصَبّ
A dialectal epithet or name for the month Rajab.
Reported as apparently a dialectal variant of الأَصَمّ.
- Lane · entry 25226
مَصَبّ
A place where water or another substance pours out, such as an outlet, confluence, discharge point, or sink.
Used for water flowing from a river, tank, gutter, or high ground into another channel, the sea, or a hollow.
- Lane · entry 25227
مِصْبَاب
A ship.
A reported attribution with no supporting authority identified in the lexical discussion.
- Lane · entry 25228
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Quranic occurrence صَبًّا at 80:25 is a verbal noun; its contextual rendering as “in abundance” does not create a separate lexical sense.
The reported interpretation of صُبٌّ in the serpents-and-conflict expression is disputed, and alternative derivations are preserved in its usage conditions.
The ship meaning of مِصْبَاب is reported with no authority identified in the lexical entry.
Historical Lane citations were not converted into modern Quran verse locations; Quran examples use only secure QAC locations.
Unassigned or ambiguous evidence
lane:entry:25213 contains competing explanations of صُبٌّ; it is represented as a reported disputed expression rather than assigned to a single uncontested etymology.
lane:entry:25228 reports مِصْبَابٌ meaning “ship” while explicitly noting that supporting authority was not found; it is retained with that limitation.