Quranic root
سحب
s · ḥ · b
The root centers on dragging or drawing an extended thing along.
From the image of something being drawn along, سحاب is explained as cloud or clouds drawn through the air, or drawing water or one another. Figurative extensions include pressing boldly upon someone. A branch meaning to eat and drink voraciously is also reported, though its derivation is disputed.
- Maqāyīs · row 2369
- Mufradāt · row 666
- Lane · entry 40365
- Lane · entry 40367
- Lane · entry 40371
- 2
- Quran-attested forms
- 3
- Quran senses
- 11
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
سَحَبَ
saḥaba
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- 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 drag or draw along; in the Quranic passive, to be dragged.
The supplied Quranic form is a passive imperfect plural. The cited uses describe people being dragged on their faces or into boiling water.
- Lane · entry 40365
- Mufradāt · row 666
Selected Quran examples
Quran 40:71word 6
“they will be dragged”
Quran 54:48word 2
“they will be dragged”
سَحَاب
saḥāb
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 9 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.
Cloud or clouds, whether rain-bearing or not.
The Quranic noun denotes atmospheric cloud or a collection of clouds; singular and collective reference are both compatible with the lexical usage.
- Lane · entry 40371
- Mufradāt · row 666
Selected Quran examples
Quran 24:43word 6
“clouds”
Quran 30:48word 6
“(the) clouds”
By analogy, a cloud-like covering associated with shade and darkness.
This figurative interpretation is explicitly applied to the layered-darkness image in the Quranic passage at 24:40.
- Mufradāt · row 666
Selected Quran examples
Quran 24:40word 13
“a cloud”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 2:164وَٱلسَّحَابِand the clouds
- 7:57سَحَابًۭاclouds
- 13:12ٱلسَّحَابَthe clouds
- 24:40سَحَابٌۭ ۚa cloud
- 24:43سَحَابًۭاclouds
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 15 Classical meanings
سَحَبَ
In expressions based on dragging a skirt, to efface traces; figuratively, to overlook faults or what has passed.
A conventional figurative extension of dragging something over the ground, as in سحب الذيل على العيوب.
- Lane · entry 40365
سَحَبَ
To eat and drink voraciously.
A figurative Form I usage reported for consuming food and drink vehemently.
- Lane · entry 40365
أَسْحَبَ
To consume much food and drink.
Form IV usage with food and beverages; the sense is explained through the image of taking or drawing provisions to oneself.
- Lane · entry 40366
تَسَحَّبَ
To act toward someone boldly or presumptuously; also, to behave coquettishly with feigned opposition.
Used with عَلَيْهِ. The behavior may be grounded in confidence in the person's affection or expressed as coquettish boldness.
- Lane · entry 40367
تَسَحَّبَ
To seize another person's right or rightful property by force and annex it to one's own.
A figurative conventional use describing forcible appropriation of another's right or property.
- Lane · entry 40367
اِنْسَحَبَ
To be or become dragged or drawn along on the ground; of the fringes of wind, to trail over the ground and efface traces.
Used of a skirt, garment, or similar thing, and figuratively of wind's trailing fringes.
- Lane · entry 40368
سُحْبَةٌ
A covering or film over the eye, producing ocular dimness.
A reported lexical equivalence with غِشَاوَةٌ; the evidence presents this use cautiously.
- Lane · entry 40369
سُحْبَةٌ
Residual water remaining in a pool after a torrent.
A concrete noun use for water left behind by flowing water.
- Lane · entry 40369
سَحْبَانُ
An epithet for a man who sweeps away or carries off everything in his path.
Used as a descriptive epithet for a man characterized by removing everything encountered.
- Lane · entry 40370
سَحَابَةَ يَوْمِي
The whole of one's day; all day long.
A conventional expression originally associated with a cloudy day and then extended to any entire day.
- Lane · entry 40371
مَاءُ السَّحَابِ
Wine.
A conventional figurative expression, literally “the water of the clouds.”
- Lane · entry 40371
السَّحَابُ
A designation for the Prophet's turban.
A figurative name comparing the turban to a rain cloud drawn through the air.
- Lane · entry 40371
السَّحَابُ
The name of a sword belonging to Dirar ibn al-Khattab.
A proper name rather than a general lexical sense.
- Lane · entry 40371
أُسْحُوبٌ
A man who eats and drinks much or voraciously.
A rare or figurative epithet; the form itself is reported as possibly less established than أُسْحُوتٌ.
- Lane · entry 40375
مَسْحَبٌ
A place where a skirt, garment, or similar object is dragged along the ground.
A place noun referring to the location or track of dragging.
- Lane · entry 40376
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Quranic verb group is attested only as the passive imperfect يُسْحَبُ/يُسْحَبُونَ; the public headword is normalized to the active perfect citation form سَحَبَ.
The voracious-eating branch is independently reported in the classical evidence but is questioned in the root-level discussion as possibly belonging to سَحْت rather than سَحْب.
The eye-cover sense of سُحْبَةٌ is presented cautiously because the evidence gives it as an approximate equivalence with غِشَاوَةٌ.