Quranic root
بسط
b · s · ṭ
The root denotes the extension or spreading of something, whether in breadth or in another dimension.
From physical spreading and extension develop meanings of spaciousness, abundance, an outstretched or generous hand, expanded capacity, and things laid out or spread.
- Maqāyīs · row 761
- Mufradāt · row 122
- 6
- Quran-attested forms
- 12
- Quran senses
- 25
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
بَسَطَ
basaṭa
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- Quran occurrences
- 16 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 spread, stretch, extend, or expand something.
The basic physical meaning applies to objects, limbs, hands, and other things capable of being extended or spread.
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 30:48word 7
“then He spreads them”
To enlarge, increase, or make abundant the means of subsistence or provision.
A figurative extension of the basic meaning, especially with رزق or comparable resources.
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:245word 14
“and grants abundance”
To stretch out the hand against someone in assault, violence, or hostile action.
The hand construction can denote killing, striking, or otherwise directing hostile force toward another person.
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 60:2word 6
“and extend”
To extend the hand in spending; to spend or give liberally.
Used figuratively of expenditure or open-handed giving, especially in the construction involving the hand and spending.
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 17:29word 8
“extend it”
بَسْطَةٌ
basṭahun
- Part of speech
- Noun
- 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.
Expanded excellence or ample capacity, especially in knowledge and understanding.
In the Quranic expression concerning knowledge and body, the noun denotes an increase or superiority in capacity.
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:247word 32
“abundantly”
Physical largeness, height, or stature.
Used of an expanded or outstanding bodily constitution; the Quranic context concerns physical stature.
- Lane · entry 36367
Selected Quran examples
Quran 7:69word 22
“extensively”
بَاسِطٌ
bāsiṭun
- Part of speech
- Active participle
- 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.
One who stretches, extends, or holds out something.
The active participle may describe the literal extension of a limb or hand, or a thing held out or spread.
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 18:18word 11
“stretched”
One who reaches out with the hands in supplication or seeking.
In the comparison involving the hands extended toward water, the construction represents seeking or supplication that does not attain its object.
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 13:14word 13
“like one who stretches”
One who seizes or exercises dominion over another by force.
The outstretched hands of the angels are interpreted as the exercise of absolute power over those in their grasp; the hostile hand construction may likewise imply assault.
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 6:93word 31
“(are) stretching out”
Quran 5:28word 8
“stretch”
بَسْطٌ
basṭun
- 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.
Extension or spreading; in the Quranic hand construction, extending it fully in expenditure.
The occurrence is in a phrase warning against complete extension of the hand, with the figurative sense of unrestricted spending.
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 17:29word 10
“reach”
بِسَاطٌ
bisāṭun
- Part of speech
- 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.
A spread-out expanse; the earth as laid out and spacious.
The Quranic usage presents the earth as an extended surface or expanse.
- Lane · entry 36374
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 71:19word 5
“an expanse”
مَبْسُوطٌ
mabsūṭun
- Part of speech
- Passive 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.
Outstretched in liberal giving; bountiful or generous.
In the Quranic expression of two hands, the outstretching is figurative and denotes unrestricted generosity or liberality.
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Selected Quran examples
Quran 5:64word 13
“(are) stretched out”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 2:245وَيَبْصُۜطُand grants abundance
- 2:247بَسْطَةًۭabundantly
- 5:11يَبْسُطُوٓا۟they stretch
- 5:28بَسَطتَyou stretch
- 5:28بِبَاسِطٍۢstretch
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 43 Classical meanings
بَسَطَ
To take possession of, seize, or exercise control over something or someone.
A figurative extension of stretching the hand toward an object or person.
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بَسَطَ
To seek or demand by extending or opening the hands.
Used of the gesture of extending the hands in supplication or request.
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بَسَطَ
To lay open or disclose one's state, affair, or circumstances to another.
The object is an affair or personal condition that is figuratively spread out before someone.
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بَسَطَ
To diffuse souls through bodies at the time of animation.
A figurative use describing the distribution of life or souls through bodies.
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بَسَطَ
To enlarge the liberty or freedom granted to someone.
The construction may also be reversed in effect, describing the enlargement and subsequent restriction of another's freedom.
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بَسَطَ
To make someone cheerful or joyous.
The figurative sense is associated with the unwrinkling and brightening of the countenance in joy.
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بُسِطَ مِنْهُ
To free someone from shyness or aversion and embolden him.
The construction denotes making a person forward, confident, or presumptuously bold toward another.
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بَسَطَ عَلَيْهِ
To make or judge one person to excel another.
A figurative construction in which superiority is conceived as an extension over someone else.
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بَسَطَ
To be sufficiently wide or ample for people or for an occupant.
Used of a place or bed that affords adequate room.
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بَسَطَ العُذْرَ
To accept or admit an excuse.
A conventional figurative construction.
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بَسَطَ
To speak freely or without restraint.
Used especially of being unconstrained in one's tongue.
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بَاسَطَ
To converse or behave with another freely, cheerfully, and without reserve.
The derived Form III construction can imply friendly, smiling, or easy interaction.
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تَبَسَّطَ
To travel far and wide through a country.
A derived Form V use associated with moving broadly through open regions.
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تَبَسَّطَ
To go out into gardens, green fields, or verdant places.
This specialized use is connected with land having sweet-smelling plants.
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اِنْبَسَطَ
To become spread, spread out, expanded, or extended.
The Form VII verb is used for something becoming extended over or upon a surface; of the day, it can mean to advance or grow longer.
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اِنْبَسَطَ
To expatiate or range freely in discourse.
A figurative use of becoming extended in speech or treatment of a subject.
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اِنْبَسَطَ
To become cheerful or open in countenance or heart.
The figurative sense describes the removal of contraction associated with grief or reserve.
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اِنْبَسَطَ
To become free from shyness and behave openly or boldly toward someone.
The construction may imply forwardness, boldness, or presumptuousness in interaction.
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بَسْطٌ
A post-classical intoxicating preparation made from hemp.
A later or post-classical lexical use, distinct from the ordinary meanings of extension and spreading.
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بَسْطَةٌ
Width, ampleness, length, increase, excess, or completeness.
These are broader nominal uses of expanded extent beyond the Quranic applications to knowledge and bodily stature.
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بَسْطَةٌ
Beauty and sleekness of bodily form.
An adjectival use describing a person or animal as fine and well-formed in body.
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بَسْطَاءُ
Wide and large, specifically of an ear.
An adjectival specialization describing the breadth and size of the ear.
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بُسْطِيٌّ
A seller of carpets or other spread furnishings.
A derivative referring to a person associated with selling بُسُط.
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بَسَاطٌ
Broad, even, spacious land or a spacious place; figuratively, an ample or plentiful state.
The noun can describe an expansive tract, a roomy place, or a condition of ample circumstances.
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بَسَاطٌ
Land in which sweet-smelling plants grow.
A specialized nominal use referring to verdant, fragrant country.
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بَسَاطٌ
A large cooking pot.
A specialized concrete noun distinct from the meanings of land and spread objects.
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بِسَاطٌ
A thing spread out, especially a carpet or floor covering.
The noun may refer generally to anything laid out and, conventionally, to a carpet.
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بِسَاطٌ
Leaves of the samur tree spread upon cloth after the tree is beaten.
A specialized technical sense referring to the fallen leaves collected on a spread cloth.
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بِسَاطٌ
A figurative reference to hastening to cut short one's speech.
Appears in the idiom of hastening to fold or roll up one's spread carpet.
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بَسِيطٌ
Spread widely or continuously.
Used adjectivally of rain falling broadly and successively over the earth.
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بَسِيطٌ
Tall or extended in body.
An adjectival description of bodily height, distinct from the noun بَسْطَةٌ.
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بَسِيطُ الوَجْهِ
Bright and unwrinkled in countenance.
Used of a face showing joy or cheerfulness.
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بَسِيطُ اليَدَيْنِ
Liberal, bountiful, or extensive in beneficence.
The expression describes generous expenditure or giving through the figurative breadth of the hands.
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بَسِيطٌ
Free or unconstrained in speech.
Applied to one who is unrestricted in the use of the tongue.
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البَسِيطُ
A named metre of Arabic verse.
A technical prosodic term, named with reference to the extension of its prosodic elements.
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بَسِيطٌ
Simple or uncompounded.
A philosophical and technical use, not a direct physical meaning of extension.
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بَسِيطَةٌ
A simple element.
A philosophical technical term; its plural is used for simple elements.
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البَاسِطُ
The one who amplifies or makes plentiful the means of subsistence.
A divine epithet expressing the granting of provision through liberality and mercy.
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البَاسِطُ
The one who diffuses souls through bodies when they are animated.
A divine epithet based on the figurative extension of life through bodies.
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مَاءٌ بَاسِطٌ
Distant from the herbage or pasture.
A specialized adjectival use describing water located away from grazing land.
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عُقْبَةٌ بَاسِطَةٌ
Far or long, especially of a journey or stage of travel.
The expression can describe a difficult journey or a stage involving a long distance to water.
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قَامَةٌ بَاسِطَةٌ
A measure consisting of a man's stature and an arm's length.
A specialized measurement used of the depth to which a well is dug.
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مَبْسَطٌ
Width or extent; an open area or expanse.
A noun describing the extent available in a region or place.
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