Quranic root
زخرف
z · kh · r · f
The root centers on adorning, embellishing, and giving something an attractive outward form, especially through ornamentation.
The lexical evidence presents gold as a primary ornamental material, extending to decoration and the displayed beauty of the earth, and figuratively to speech beautified through deception.
- Lane · entry 31030
- Lane · entry 31028
- Mufradāt · row 615
- 1
- Quran-attested forms
- 3
- Quran senses
- 4
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
زُخْرُف
zukhruf
- Part of speech
- Noun
- 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.
Gold, especially gold used as an ornamental material or in an adorned structure.
Used in Quranic contexts for gold associated with an ornamented house and for gold ornaments.
- Lane · entry 31030
- Mufradāt · row 615
Selected Quran examples
Quran 17:93word 6
“ornament”
Quran 43:35word 1
“And ornaments of gold”
Ornament, decoration, or embellished beauty, including the displayed adornment and perfected appearance of the earth and its vegetation.
In the Quran, used of the earth’s visible adornment and of decorative ornamentation; the sense concerns embellished appearance rather than necessarily the gold material itself.
- Lane · entry 31030
- Mufradāt · row 615
Selected Quran examples
Quran 10:24word 21
“its adornment”
The fair or embellished appearance of speech, especially speech made attractive through falsehood or deceptive ornament.
Occurs in the construction زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ, referring to speech whose attractive presentation conceals or promotes falsehood.
- Lane · entry 31030
- Mufradāt · row 615
Selected Quran examples
Quran 6:112word 13
“(with) decorative”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 6:112زُخْرُفَ(with) decorative
- 10:24زُخْرُفَهَاits adornment
- 17:93زُخْرُفٍornament
- 43:35وَزُخْرُفًۭا ۚAnd ornaments of gold
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 8 Classical meanings
زَخْرَفَةٌ
Adorning, ornamenting, decorating, embellishing, or completing a thing.
A verbal-noun use associated with زَخْرَفَ, including the adornment of a house or chamber.
- Lane · entry 31028
زَخْرَفَةٌ
Arranging or putting speech into proper form; also embellishing, falsifying, or adulterating speech, often through lies.
A speech-related construction distinct from the physical adornment of an object.
- Lane · entry 31028
تَزَخْرَفَ
To adorn, ornament, decorate, or embellish oneself.
Reflexive or self-directed use of the derived verb.
- Lane · entry 31029
زُخْرُفٌ
Furniture or utensils of a house or tent.
A specialized nominal use reported for household or tent equipment.
- Lane · entry 31030
زَخَارِفُ
Lines or streaks visible on the surface of water.
Plural lexical use.
- Lane · entry 31030
زَخَارِفُ
Ships, especially ornamented or decorated ships, or the decorative fittings of ships.
Plural lexical use with variation in whether the term denotes the vessels themselves or their ornamentation.
- Lane · entry 31030
زُخْرُفٌ
A small flying insect with four legs that moves or flies upon water.
A zoological nominal use.
- Lane · entry 31030
مُزَخْرَفٌ
Adorned, ornamented, decorated, or embellished.
Passive-participial adjective describing something given an ornamental finish.
- Lane · entry 31031
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
Lane’s historical Quran citation notation is retained only as lexical evidence; the modern verse keys and word locations used here come from QAC and the supplied Quran-focused evidence.
The derived verbs and participle in the Classical Arabic section are not additional Quranic form groups; the supplied QAC form group is the noun زُخْرُف.