Quranic root
غمز
gh · m · z
The root centers on pressing or probing something, with extensions to marking a defect, signaling it, and indicating weakness.
Physical touching or pressure—especially testing an animal's fatness—extends to finding fault or exposing weakness, to signaling by eyelid or hand, and to the image of a limping foot pressing the ground.
- Maqāyīs · row 3459
- Mufradāt · row 1069
- 1
- Quran-attested forms
- 1
- Quran senses
- 1
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
تَغَامَزَ
taghāmaza
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form VI
- Form
- VI
- 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 make signs to one another, especially by winking or gesturing to indicate a fault or something blameworthy.
Reciprocal Form VI construction; the sign may be made with the eye, eyebrow, eyelid, or hand. The supplied Quranic usage occurs in the context of people signaling disparagingly to one another.
- Lane · entry 29902
- Mufradāt · row 1069
Selected Quran examples
Quran 83:30word 4
“they winked at one another”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 83:30يَتَغَامَزُونَthey winked at one another
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 21 Classical meanings
غَمَزَ
To feel or touch an animal to test whether it is fat.
Attested with the hand, including feeling a ram or a she-camel's body or hump.
- Lane · entry 29898
غَمَزَ
To press, squeeze, or knead something with the hand.
Attested of a limb, a person's back, locks of hair, and a spear being pinched or pressed.
- Lane · entry 29898
غَمَزَ
To make a sign to someone with the eye, eyebrow, or eyelid.
A related construction may mean signaling toward or against another person to prompt action, seek protection, or obtain aid.
- Lane · entry 29898
غَمَزَ
To disparage, blame, slander, or impugn; of a matter such as testimony, to be regarded as suspect or impugned.
Includes the use of غَمَزَ بِـ for finding fault with or speaking against someone, and a passive construction for something whose credibility is questioned.
- Lane · entry 29898
غَمَزَ
To limp, halt slightly, or have a slight lameness in one's gait.
Used of an animal or of a person's movement, especially involving a hind leg.
- Lane · entry 29898
غَمَزَ
Of a disease, vice, or fault, to appear.
The subject is an ailment or defect that becomes manifest.
- Lane · entry 29898
أَغْمَزَ
Of a she-camel, to have fat or a little fat in the hump.
A specialized animal description concerning the amount of fat in the hump.
- Lane · entry 29900
أَغْمَزَ
To find fault with, blame, accuse, or disparage; to deem weak or lower in rank.
Used of attributing a vice or fault to someone or of judging a saying, character, or other matter deficient.
- Lane · entry 29900
أَغْمَزَ
Of heat, to abate for someone so that it becomes bearable enough to face.
The construction describes a person's increased boldness or ability to proceed after the heat has lessened.
- Lane · entry 29900
أَغْمَزَ
To become gentle or unthreatening, so that others are emboldened against one.
The consequence for others—their becoming bold against the person—is part of the attested construction.
- Lane · entry 29900
أَغْمَزَ
To acquire cattle described by the term غَمَزٌ.
The expression concerns acquiring cattle of the type designated by the related noun غَمَزٌ.
- Lane · entry 29900
غَمَزٌ
Of cattle, inferior in quality; of a man, weak.
The two applications are separately attested for cattle and for a person.
- Lane · entry 29904
غَمُوزٌ
A she-camel whose fatness is uncertain and whose hump is therefore felt for inspection.
A specialized noun describing the animal requiring examination for fatness.
- Lane · entry 29905
غَمِيزَةٌ
A fault, defect, or shortcoming; a weakness in work or intellect, including mental impotence or ignorance.
It may describe a person or a thing; by extension, it can denote a blemish making something undesirable. Its plural is غَمَامِزُ.
- Lane · entry 29907
غَمَّازَةٌ
A female who presses, squeezes, or kneads limbs well with the hand.
Attested as a description of a girl skilled in manual pressing or kneading.
- Lane · entry 29908
غَمَّازَةٌ
A woman who habitually makes signs with the eye or a similar gesture.
A feminine intensive description of frequent or habitual signaling.
- Lane · entry 29908
غَمَّازٌ
One who habitually blames or finds fault with others.
An intensive agent noun for repeated fault-finding.
- Lane · entry 29908
غَامِزٌ
Limping or halting.
The form may also be used as a possessive noun; the attestation notes that a feminine counterpart is not used in this sense.
- Lane · entry 29909
مَغْمِزٌ
A place or point where something is felt, pressed, or pinched.
Used of the place where an animal is examined for fatness, a limb is pressed, or a spear is pinched to straighten it. The printed source headword is normalized here to the regular citation form مَغْمِزٌ.
- Lane · entry 29910
مَغْمِزٌ
Figuratively, a point of crookedness, weakness, or defect.
In figurative phraseology, the absence of a مَغْمِزٌ denotes the absence of a point requiring correction or criticism.
- Lane · entry 29910
مَغْمُوزٌ
Suspected of a vice or fault.
A passive participial description of a person whose character is regarded as blemished or questionable.
- Lane · entry 29912
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Form III entry غَاْمَزَ is reported with a fault-finding gloss but is explicitly described as lacking reliable authority and possibly reflecting an error; it is not presented as a settled classical meaning.
Unassigned or ambiguous evidence
lane-unit:gmz:29899:g1:main reports that غَاْمَزَ may mean to find fault with, but the same unit rejects the supporting attribution as unauthorized or erroneous.