Quranic root
سبع
s · b · ʿ
The root has two established semantic axes: the number seven and the predatory wild animal.
The numerical branch extends to being seventh, a seventh part, seven-based measures and periods, and completion by adding to a specified number. The animal branch extends to prey-taking, attack, predation, and figurative descriptions of harmful or uncontrolled conduct.
- Maqāyīs · row 2348
- Mufradāt · row 655
- 2
- Quran-attested forms
- 4
- Quran senses
- 28
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
سَبْعٌ
sabʿun
- Part of speech
- Numeral
- Quran occurrences
- 27 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.
Seven; the cardinal number seven, including its gendered form سَبْعَةٌ and the seven-based form سَبْعُونَ, seventy.
Used in counted expressions and with units, persons, periods, celestial structures, and other counted entities. The form varies according to the grammatical gender and construction of the counted noun.
- Lane · entry 40069
- Lane · entry 40073
- Mufradāt · row 655
Selected Quran examples
A large or indefinite number, conventionally expressed as seventy or many times.
Especially attested in the Quranic expression سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً, where “seventy times” is explained as “many times,” not as a limit that would become effective only after seventy.
- Lane · entry 40073
Selected Quran examples
Quran 9:80word 10
“seventy”
The “seven oft-repeated,” a Quranic designation for the Fātiḥah, or, in another explanation, for the group of long surahs.
The referent of السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي is explained in more than one way: as the seven-verse opening surah, or as a group of long Quranic chapters.
- Lane · entry 40069
- Mufradāt · row 655
Selected Quran examples
Quran 15:87word 3
“seven”
سَبُعٌ
sabuʿun
- 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 predatory animal or beast of prey, especially one that attacks and seizes animals or people.
The term generally denotes a fang-bearing, hostile predator such as a lion, wolf, lynx, leopard, or similar animal; the Quranic occurrence is definite: السَّبُعُ.
- Lane · entry 40067
- Mufradāt · row 655
Selected Quran examples
Quran 5:3word 18
“the wild animal”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 2:29سَبْعَseven
- 2:196وَسَبْعَةٍand seven (days)
- 2:261سَبْعَseven
- 5:3ٱلسَّبُعُthe wild animal
- 7:155سَبْعِينَseventy
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 63 Classical meanings
سَبَعَ
To be or become the seventh; to make a group seven, or to complete a group by adding oneself as the seventh member.
The same completion pattern is extended to other totals, such as making sixty-nine become seventy or sixteen become seventeen.
- Lane · entry 40058
سَبَعَ
To take a seventh part of someone's property or possessions.
This is a distributive or share-taking use, distinct from merely being seventh in a group.
- Lane · entry 40058
سَبَعَ
To make a rope or cord of seven strands.
- Lane · entry 40058
سُبِعَ
Of an infant, to undergo the seventh-day shaving and sacrificial rite.
A specifically reported birth custom associated with the seventh day after birth.
- Lane · entry 40058
سَبَعَ
To seize, kill, and eat animals as prey.
Used of a wolf or other predator attacking sheep or goats; the passive construction describes an animal whose young have been eaten by a predator.
- Lane · entry 40058
سَبَعَ
To steal something, treating it as prey.
A figurative extension of the predator's seizure of its prey.
- Lane · entry 40058
سَبَعَ
To shoot at, strike, or frighten someone or something.
Reported especially of attacking or frightening a wolf, and also of attacking a person.
- Lane · entry 40058
سَبَعَ
To revile, vilify, insult, or assail someone with offensive language; to backbite.
The figurative comparison is with the hostile or biting conduct of a beast of prey.
- Lane · entry 40058
- Mufradāt · row 655
سَبَعَ
To bite someone with the teeth, like a beast of prey.
A directly physical usage reported alongside the figurative use for verbal abuse.
- Lane · entry 40058
سَبَّعَ
To make something seven or call it seven; to complete a number to a seven-based total.
The completion use can be extended to totals such as seven hundred; a reported usage for making an amount seventy is marked as post-classical and nonstandard in the source.
- Lane · entry 40059
سَبَّعَ
To make something have seven angles or corners; to make it heptagonal.
- Lane · entry 40059
سَبَّعَ
To give a reward sevenfold or multiply something many times over.
The number may be used for an exact sevenfold increase or more generally for multiplication beyond seven.
- Lane · entry 40059
سَبَّعَ
To cause one thing to follow another.
Reported in relation to either beneficial or harmful consequences.
- Lane · entry 40059
سَبَّعَ
To bless someone with seven children.
A benedictory formula wishing or attributing seven offspring.
- Lane · entry 40059
سَبَّعَ
To wash or rinse a vessel seven times.
The seven repetitions are part of the reported conventional construction.
- Lane · entry 40059
سَبَّعَ
To arrange the recitation of the Quran in seven portions so that it is completed every seven nights.
A Quran-recitation scheduling expression, not a Quran occurrence of the derived verb itself.
- Lane · entry 40059
سَبَّعَ
To remain with one's wife for seven nights.
A conventional temporal construction involving seven consecutive nights.
- Lane · entry 40059
سَبَّعَتْ
Of a woman, to give birth after seven months of pregnancy.
A reported usage specifically describing a seven-month birth.
- Lane · entry 40059
سِبَاعٌ
Sexual intercourse.
A verbal-noun usage of the Form III derivative.
- Lane · entry 40060
سِبَاعٌ
Competing with another in obscene or lewd speech and in the frequency of sexual intercourse.
A specialized conventional usage associated with forbidden conduct.
- Lane · entry 40060
سِبَاعٌ
Mutual reviling or vilification between two people.
The reciprocal use describes each party assailing the other with offensive language.
- Lane · entry 40060
أَسْبَعَ
Of a group, to become seven or seventy.
An intransitive numerical use distinct from the Form I and Form II causative or completion uses.
- Lane · entry 40061
أَسْبَعَ
Of a man or his camels, to follow a seven-day watering cycle.
The camels come to water on the seventh day, counting according to the reported traditional reckoning.
- Lane · entry 40061
أَسْبَعَتْ
Of a woman, to give birth to her seventh offspring.
- Lane · entry 40061
أَسْبَعَ
Of a road or locality, to abound in predatory animals; of herders, to have their livestock attacked by predators.
The construction describes either an environment containing predators or the resulting predation on livestock.
- Lane · entry 40061
أَسْبَعَ
To feed someone the flesh of a predatory animal, or to give someone as food to a predator.
The source reports both possible interpretations of the construction.
- Lane · entry 40061
أَسْبَعَ
To give or deliver a child to a nurse or nurses.
- Lane · entry 40061
أَسْبَعَ
To leave someone unattended, without work, occupation, or restraint.
Reported especially of leaving a slave to himself and allowing him to remain daring or uncontrolled.
- Lane · entry 40061
السَّبْعُ
The place to which mankind will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection.
A specialized interpretation of the expression يوم السبع.
- Lane · entry 40063
السَّبْعُ
An occasion of trials or danger when a flock is left without a shepherd and exposed to predators.
A figurative interpretation of يوم السبع in which the predator is portrayed as the flock's only guardian.
- Lane · entry 40063
يَوْمُ السَّبْعِ
A festival in the pre-Islamic period on which people were diverted from other concerns by games and entertainment.
- Lane · entry 40063
سُبْعٌ
A seventh part; one part of seven.
The plural أَسْبَاعٌ is also used for the seven divisions into which the Quran may be arranged for recitation; that latter expression is reported as post-classical.
- Lane · entry 40064
سِبْعٌ
A traditional seven-day watering interval for camels.
The reported reckoning counts the interval between successive visits to the water according to a specified pastoral convention.
- Lane · entry 40065
سِبْعٌ
The seventh young one or offspring.
- Lane · entry 40065
السَّبُعُ
The constellation Lupus, situated behind or east of Centaurus.
A figurative or transferred astronomical name, distinct from the animal noun.
- Lane · entry 40067
سَبْعَةٌ
A weight relation in which ten units weigh seven mithqals.
Used in the expression وَزْنَ سَبْعَةٍ for a specified monetary or weight standard.
- Lane · entry 40069
سَبْعَةٌ
A great, momentous, or difficult affair.
In the idiom إِحْدَى مِنْ سَبْعٍ, the number evokes a notably difficult or severe matter.
- Lane · entry 40069
سَبْعَةٌ
Seven or more; several or many.
A reported vague use in which the numeral is not intended as an exact count.
- Lane · entry 40069
سَبُعَةٌ
A lioness.
The form also appears in a comparison for a forceful or impetuous seizure.
- Lane · entry 40071
سَبُعَةٌ
A forceful seizure or harsh punishment, expressed through the idiom of taking someone like a lioness or like the legendary Sebʿah.
The expression has competing explanations: a lioness, a very strong or audacious man named Sebʿah, or the force of seven men.
- Lane · entry 40071
سَبُعِيٌّ
Predatory; belonging or relating to an animal of prey.
- Lane · entry 40072
سَبْعُونَ
Seventieth.
An ordinal use of the seventy-based numeral.
- Lane · entry 40073
سَبُوعٌ
Apparently, one accustomed to frightening others or something frightening.
The lexical interpretation is reported tentatively in the source.
- Lane · entry 40075
سُبَاعِيٌّ
A garment or piece of cloth seven cubits or spans in length.
- Lane · entry 40079
سُبَاعِيٌّ
A great, tall camel.
The description is connected with a seven-span measure.
- Lane · entry 40079
سُبَاعِيُّ الْبَدَنِ
Complete or full-grown in body.
Applied to a person who has reached the physical development associated with seven spans.
- Lane · entry 40079
سَابِعٌ
Seventh; the one that occupies seventh place or makes six become seven.
The same ordinal enters compound forms such as seventeenth.
- Lane · entry 40080
سَابِعٌ
Of camels, coming to water on the seventh day.
Used as a plural description of camels following the traditional seven-day watering cycle.
- Lane · entry 40080
أُسْبُوعٌ
A period of seven days; a week.
The word may also be used in plural expressions for multiple weeks.
- Lane · entry 40081
أُسْبُوعٌ
The seventh day.
In customary expressions it may mean the seventh day after marriage, childbirth, or another specified event.
- Lane · entry 40081
أُسْبُوعٌ
Seven circuits around the Kaaba.
A ritual count of seven circumambulations, also used for the corresponding plural circuit-units.
- Lane · entry 40081
مُسْبَعٌ
Given or delivered to a nurse; especially a child suckled by someone other than its mother after her death.
The nursing and maternal-loss interpretations are reported as related applications of the adjective.
- Lane · entry 40082
مُسْبَعٌ
Left to himself, without occupation or restraint, and consequently daring or harmful.
Applied especially to a slave or person allowed to become like a predatory animal in mischievousness; a near synonym is مُهْمَلٌ.
- Lane · entry 40082
مُسْبَعٌ
Of suspect, bastard, servile, or otherwise ignoble lineage.
The reported lineage extends in different authorities to several male or female ancestors, including up to seven.
- Lane · entry 40082
مُسْبَعٌ
Born after seven months of pregnancy, before full gestation.
A term for an incompletely matured infant whose gestational months were not completed.
- Lane · entry 40082
مُسْبِعٌ
Of a camel-owner, having camels that come to water on the seventh day.
- Lane · entry 40083
مُسْبِعٌ
A shepherd whose flock has been attacked by a predatory animal.
- Lane · entry 40083
مَسْبَعَةٌ
Land containing or abounding in predatory animals.
Used as a fixed feminine place-description.
- Lane · entry 40084
مُسَبَّعٌ
A verse consisting of seven metrical feet.
- Lane · entry 40085
مُسَبَّعٌ
A camel having seven redundant vertebrae in the middle part of its back.
A specialized anatomical description of the camel's back.
- Lane · entry 40085
مَسْبُوعٌ
A rope consisting of seven strands.
- Lane · entry 40086
مَسْبُوعَةٌ
A cow or other female wild animal whose offspring has been eaten by a predator.
- Lane · entry 40086
مُتَسَبَّعٌ
A place inhabited by or associated with a predatory animal.
- Lane · entry 40087
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The public numeral headword groups the QAC forms سَبْعٌ, سَبْعَةٌ, and the tagged occurrence at 69:7; the differences are grammatical or constructional rather than separate lexical roots.
In السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي, the classical explanations differ as to whether the expression denotes the Fātiḥah or a group of long surahs.