عشو

عَشْوَةٌ ذ Darkness, (K, TA,) in [any part of] the night and in the سَحَر [or period a little before daybreak]; (TA;) as also ↓ عَشْوَاآءُ: (K:) or the first of the darkness of the night: (Az, TA:) or the period between the beginning and [ the end of ] the [ first ] quarter of the night: (AZ, S, K:) thus in the saying, مَضَى مِنَ اللَّيْلِ عَشْوَةٌ [ A period between the beginning &c. of the night passed ]: and one says also, أَخَذْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ بِالعَشْوَةِ, meaning [ I laid hold upon them ] in the blackness of night: (AZ, S:) the dim. is ↓ عُشَيَّةٌ. (Az, TA.) In the saying جَاآءَ عَشْوَةَ, meaning عِشَاآءً [i. e. He came at nightfall ], it [is an adv. n. which] may not be used otherwise than thus: you may not say, مَضَتْ عَشْوَةُ. (TA.) ― -b2- العشوة [app. العَشْوَةُ] as meaning العَشَاآءُ, like الغدوة [app. الغَدْوَةُ] as meaning الغَدَاآءُ, is vulgar. (TA.) -A2- Also The venturing upon, or embarking in, an affair that is not clear; as also ↓ عِشْوَةٌ and ↓ عُشْوَةٌ: (S, K:) one says, أَوْطَأْتَنِى عَشْوَةً and عِشْوَةً and عُشْوَةً, meaning [ Thou hast made me to venture upon, or embark in, ] a confused and dubious affair: this is when you tell him of a thing by means of which you have made him to fall into perplexity or trial. (S.) ― -b2- خَبَّاطُ عَشَوَاتٍ, occurring in a trad., see expl. in art. خبط.