عد

عَدَدٌ ذ a subst. from عَدَّهُ “ he numbered it; ” as also ↓ عَدِيدٌ: (S, O, K:) [originally] What is numbered, counted, reckoned, or computed: (O, Msb, K: [in the CK, a و is inadvertently omitted after the explanation of this meaning:]) [and hence,] a number; (Msb;) and ↓ عَدِيدٌ is syn. therewith [in this sense, as will be seen in what follows]; (A;) a quantity composed of units; and therefore not [properly] applicable to one; but accord. to the grammarians, one belongs to the predicament ofالعَدَدُ because it is the root thereof, and because it implies quantity, for when it is said “ How many hast thou? ” it is as proper to answer “ One ” as it is to answer “ Three ” &c.: (Msb:) pl. أَعْدَادٌ. (TA.) ↓ مَا أَكْثَرَ عَدِيدَهُمْ means عَدَدَهُمْ [i. e. How great is their number! ]. (A.) Zj says that عَدَدٌ is sometimes used in the sense of an inf. n.; as in the phrase in the Kur [xviii. 10], سِنِينَ عَدَدًا: but many say that it is in this instance used in its proper sense, meaning مَعْدُودَةً [i. e. numbered ], and is made masc. because سِنِين is syn. with أَعْوَام. (Msb.) In the phrase وَأَحْصَى كُلَّ شَىْءٍ عَدَدًا, in the Kur [lxxii. last verse], it is used in its proper sense of مَعْدُودًا, and is put in the accus. case as a denotative of state; or it is used in this case as an inf. n. (IAth, O.) ― -b2- It signifies also The years of a man's life, which one numbers, or counts. (IAar, O, K. [In the CK, after the words وَالعَدَدُ المعدُودُ, a و should be inserted.]) Hence the phrase رَقَّ عَدَدُهُ The years of his life, which he numbered, became few, the greater part having passed. (IAar, O.)