عصب

عَصَبَةٌ ذ n. un. of عَصَبٌ. (S, &c. [See the latter word in the paragraph headed by it and also voce عُصْبٌ.]) ― -b2- Also A man's people, or party, who league together for his defence: (K, TA: [see also عُصْبَةٌ:]) thus accord. to the leading lexicologists. (TA.) ― -b3- And The heirs of a man who has left neither parent nor offspring: and [particularly], with respect to the [portions of inheritances termed] فَرَائِض [pl. of فَرِيضَةٌ q. v.], all such as have not a فَرِيضَة named, and who receive if there remain anything after [ the distribution of ] the فَرَائِض: (K, TA:) thus accord. to those who treat of the فرائض, and accord. to the [other] lawyers: (TA:) or the relations by the side of the males: this is the meaning of what is said by the leading lexicologists: (Msb:) or, as is said by Az, a man's heirs consisting of male relations: (Msb, TA:) or his sons, and relations on the father's side: (S:) so called because they encompass him; the father being a طَرَف [i. e. an extremity in the right line], and so the son, and the paternal uncle being a جَانِب [i. e. a collateral relation], and so the brother: (Az, S, TA:) or a man's relations on the father's side; (Mgh, TA;) because they encompass him and he is strengthened by them: (TA:) afterwards it became applied to a single person as well as to a pl. number, and both a male and a female: (Mgh:) or the lawyers apply it to a single person when there is no other than he, because he stands in the place of the collective number in receiving the whole of the property; and in the language of the law it is applied to a female in certain cases relating to emancipation and inheritances, but not otherwise either in the proper language or in the language of the law: (Msb:) and ↓ عُصُوبَةٌ is used as its inf. n. [meaning the state of being persons, or a person, to whom the term عَصَبَةٌ is applied ]: (Mgh:) it is said [by Az] in the T, “ I have not heard any sing. of عَصَبَةٌ: accord. to analogy it should be عَاصِبٌ, like as طَالِبٌ is sing. of طَلَبَةٌ: ” (TA: [and the like is also said in the Mgh: in the Msb it is said that عَصَبَةٌ is pl. of عَاصِبٌ, like as كَفَرَةٌ is pl. of كَافِرٌ:]) the pl. is عَصَبَاتٌ. (Az, S, TA.)