عبث

1 عَبَثَهُ ذ , aor. عَبِثَ , (S, A, * O, K, *) inf. n. عَبْثٌ, (S, O,) He mixed, or mingled, (S, A, O, K,) it. (S, O.) ― -b2- [Hence,] عَبَثَ, aor. as above, (K,) and so the inf. n., (S, O,) He made, or prepared, عَبِيثَة [q. v.]: (S, O, K:) or so عَبَثَ عَبِيثَةً; as also ↓ أَعْبَثَهَا. (O.) One says, عَبَثَتِ المَرْأَةُ, meaning The woman poured out what was moist of the [ preparation of curd called ] أَقِط, when it was cooked, on what was dry thereof, upon the [ mat, or cloth, called ] مَشَرّ, or مِشَرّ, [the former accord. to the O and a copy of the S, and the latter accord. to another copy of the S,] in order that what was dry thereof might bear [ and not suffer to pass through the مشرّ] what was moist. (Aboo-Sá'id El-Kilábee, S, O.) And عَبَثَ الأَقِطَ, aor. and inf. n. as above, He dried the اقط in the sun: or he mixed it with clarified butter: and غَبَثَهُ, with غ, is a dial. var. thereof. (TA.) -A2- عَبِثَ, aor. عَبَثَ , (S, Mgh, O, Msb, K,) inf. n. عَبَثٌ, (S, Mgh, O, Msb,) He played, or sported; (S, Mgh, O, Msb, K;) and mingled together unprofitable actions; (Mgh;) or and did that in which was no profit; (Msb;) or he played with that which did not concern him and for which he did not care. (TA.) You say, عَبِثَ بِهِ He played, or sported, [or amused himself, ] with him, or it; (TA;) and به ↓ تعبّث [which signifies the same]. (Ham p. 710.) ― -b2- And عَبِثَ بِهِ الدَّهْرُ (assumed tropical:) [ Fortune made sport with him ]; a phrase alluding to the mutability of fortune. (Msb.) ― -b3- And عَبِثَ فِى مَنَامِهِ, occurring in a trad., means (assumed tropical:) He moved his hands, or arms, in his sleep, like him who is pushing away or taking, or giving or receiving. (TA.)