عيش

مَعِيشَةٌ ذ inf. n. of عَاشَ [q. v.]. (K.) ― -b2- Also Victuals, living, sustenance, or food and drink by which one lives; (Lth, A, O, K;) as also ↓ عَيْشٌ; (A;) whence you say that dates are the عَيْش of such a family: (TA:) that whereby life subsists; the means of life or subsistence; (A, K;) as also ↓ عَيْشٌ: (A, TA:) that whereby one lives; as also ↓ عَيْشٌ (A, K, TA) and ↓ مَعَاشٌ and ↓ مَعِيشٌ; (TA;) or [the state ] wherein one lives; (A, K, TA;) as also ↓ عَيْشٌ (A) and ↓ مَعَاشٌ and ↓ مَعِيشٌ: (TA:) the means of obtaining that whereby one lives: (Aboo-Is-hák, TA:) the gain, or earnings, by means of which a man lives; (Mgh, Msb;) as also ↓ مَعِيشٌ: (Msb:) the pl. is مَعَايِشُ, (S, O, Msb,) accord. to general opinion, (Msb,) without ء, (S, O, Msb,) when formed from the original of the sing., which is مَعْيِشَةٌ, of the measure مَفْعِلَةٌ; (S, O;) or because it is from عَاشَ, so that the measure of the pl. is مَفَاعِلُ: (Msb:) but when it is formed from the secondary form of the sing., it is with ء, [مَعَائِشُ,] مَفْعِلَةٌ being in this case likened to فَعِيلَةٌ, like as مَصَائِبُ is with ء because the ى [in its sing.] is quiescent; but some of the grammarians hold this latter pl. to be incorrect: (S, O:) all the Basree grammarians hold it to be so: (TA:) or, accord. to some, ↓ مَعِيشٌ and مَعِيشَةٌ are from معش; and the pl. in question is therefore of the measure فَعَائِلُ, with ء. (Msb.) ― -b3- مَعِيشَةٌ ضَنْكٌ The punishment of the grave: (O, K:) so, accord. to most of the expositors, in the Kur xx. 123: or, as some say, [ strait sustenance ] in the fire of hell. (O, TA.)