عتم

2 تَعْتِيمٌ ذ and ↓ عَتْمٌ signify The being slow, or tardy. (S.) You say, عتّم قِرَاهُ and ↓ عَتَمَ His entertainment for his guest, or guests, was, or became, slow, or tardy; syn. أَبْطَأَ [not أَبْطَأَ بِهِ]: (S, K:) and he delayed it: (TA: [but this, though virtually a correct rendering, is app. not so literally:]) and ↓ اعتم likewise has the former meaning: (K:) or قِرَى الضَيْفِ ↓ اعتم signifies he delayed the entertainment of the guest. (S.) And مَا عَتَّمَ أَنْ فَعَلَ كَذَا He delayed not, or was not slow, to do, or in doing, such a thing. (S, K. *) And حَاجَتَهُ ↓ اعتم He delayed [ the accomplishment of ] the object of his want. (TA.) ― -b2- And عتّم عَنْهُ He refrained, forbore, abstained, or desisted, from it, (S, K,) namely, an affair, (S,) after having made progress therein; as also ↓ اعتم; and ↓ عَتَمَ, aor. عَتِمَ , (K, TA,) inf. n. عَتْمٌ: (TA:) or this last signifies he withheld himself from doing it, meaning, a thing that he desired: (K:) and ↓ اعتم signifies he delayed to do it. (TA.) And [hence] one says, ضَرَبَهُ فَمَا عَتَّمَ, (S,) and حَمَلَ عَلَيْهِ فَمَ عَتَّمَ, (S, K,) i. e. [ He beat him, and he attacked him, ] and did not withhold, or restrict, or limit, himself, in beating him, [and in attacking him, ] (S,) or and did not recede, or draw back, or desist: (K, TA:) the vulgar say, ضَرَبَهُ فَمَا عَتَّبَ. (S.) ― -b3- See also 4.