Quranic root
كثب
k · th · b
The root centers on gathering or being near: things collect into a portion or heap, and persons or objects draw close.
From gathering comes the vocabulary of small collected portions, sand-heaps, and concentrated quantities; the same orientation extends to nearness, approach, and making something come within reach. Other derived uses describe pouring or scattering material into an aggregate.
- Maqāyīs · row 3937
- Mufradāt · row 1235
- Lane · entry 27899
- Lane · entry 27902
- Lane · entry 27909
- 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.
كَثِيب
kathīb
- 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 mound or heap of accumulated sand.
In the Quranic expression كَثِيبًا مَهِيلًا, the mountains are depicted as sand heaped up and loosened so that it pours down.
- Lane · entry 27909
- Mufradāt · row 1235
Selected Quran examples
Quran 73:14word 7
“a heap of sand”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 73:14كَثِيبًۭاa heap of sand
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 18 Classical meanings
كَثَبَ، كَثَبَهُ
To collect or bring something together; of a people, to gather or congregate.
The transitive use is described as collecting something together from a near place; the intransitive use is used of people gathering themselves.
- Lane · entry 27899
كَثَبَهُ
To pour something out or forth, including after collecting it together.
This use describes material gathered from a near place and then poured out.
- Lane · entry 27899
كَثَبَ
To scatter dust, earth, grain, food, or the contents of a quiver, distributing it part over part.
The quiver expression refers to turning the quiver upside down and scattering what it contains; the lexical use is not restricted to quivers or to one material.
- Lane · entry 27899
كَثَبَ
To enter among a group of people.
The use is connected with entering from a position of nearness.
- Lane · entry 27899
كَثَبَ عَلَيْهِ
To charge upon someone, or to return against him after withdrawing; to draw near and attack.
The construction with عَلَيْهِ describes a hostile approach or renewed charge.
- Lane · entry 27899
كَثَبَ
Of milk, to become little or scant.
The reported use allows the reduction to occur whether the milk was ordinarily plentiful or already sparse.
- Lane · entry 27899
كَثَّبَ
To be or become few or little, of a number or quantity.
This is a Form II lexical use concerning the smallness of a quantity.
- Lane · entry 27900
أَكْثَبَ
To draw near or approach; of game, to come within reach and enable the hunter to shoot it.
The approach construction may take لَهُ, مِنْهُ, or إِلَيْهِ; with game, the result is that it becomes available for taking advantage of.
- Lane · entry 27902
أَكْثَبَ
To give someone a small portion of milk.
The object is a كُثْبَة, a small collected quantity.
- Lane · entry 27902
اِنْكَثَبَ
To become collected; of material poured into a place or of dust and earth, to collect there or become scattered in layers.
This Form VII use covers both collection into an aggregate and material distributed part over part.
- Lane · entry 27903
كَثَبٌ
Nearness, especially nearness of place.
It is used as an adverbial noun of place, including in expressions for shooting or throwing from a near spot within reach.
- Lane · entry 27904
كُثْبَةٌ
A small portion or quantity of grain, dates, food, dust, earth, milk, or water; a gulp, draught, one milking, or the amount held by a bowl or cup.
The quantity is described as small or as collected together; its plural is كُثَبٌ.
- Lane · entry 27905
كُثْبَةٌ
A depressed tract of land between mountains.
- Lane · entry 27905
كَثْبَاءُ
Dust or earth; in an alternative report, a name for wine.
The lexical report preserves uncertainty between the dust-or-earth reading and the alternative interpretation.
- Lane · entry 27906
كُثَابٌ
Many or much; a large quantity or number.
It is exemplified of livestock and herds, but the definition is quantitative rather than restricted to animals.
- Lane · entry 27907
كَثِيبٌ
A thing collected together; a hill or heap, especially a mound of sand or another gathered substance.
The generic collected-material sense includes heaps or mounds used of substances other than the Quranic sand-mound context.
- Lane · entry 27909
كُثَّابٌ
A small or common arrow lacking a head and feathers, used by boys in play.
The word may also occur in a broader expression for shooting or throwing an arrow or other object.
- Lane · entry 27911
كَاثِبَةٌ
The withers or elevated forepart of a horse, extending from the root of the neck to the region between the shoulders.
The plural forms include كَوَاثِبُ and أَكْثَابٌ.
- Lane · entry 27913
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The lexical report for كَثْبَاءُ preserves two alternatives: dust or earth, and possibly a name for wine.