حمض

حَمْضٌ حمض [a coll. gen. n.] A kind of plant in which is saltness, (A, Msb,) which camels eat as though it were fruit, and after which they drink: (A:) other plants are termed خُلَّة: (Msb:) or what is salt and bitter, of plants; (S, K;) such as the رِمْث and the أَثْل and the طَرْفَاآء and the like: (S:) what is sweet is called خُلَّة: (S, K:) or any kind of plant that is salt, or sour, rising upon [ several ] stems, and having no [ single ] أَصْل [or stock ]: (M [as cited in the L, but I doubt whether the passage be correctly transcribed]:) or any salt, or sour, kind of trees; having a juicy and quivering leaf, which, when squeezed, bursts forth with water; and having a pungent, or strong, odour; that cleanses the garment and the hand when they are washed with it; such as the نَجِيل and the خذْرَاف and the اـِخْرِيط and the رِمْث and the قِضَة and the قُلَّام and the هَرْم and the حُرْض and the رُغل and the طَرْفَاآء and the like: (Lh:) or any plant that does not dry up in the رَبِيع [or spring ], but endures the hot season, having in it saltness; when camels eat it, they drink upon it; and when they do not find it, they become thin and weak: (Lth, T:) the Arabs say that the خُلَّة is the bread of camels, and the حَمْض is their fruit, (S, A, Msb, K, *) or, as some say, their flesh-meat; (S;) or their خَبِيص: (TA in art. خل:) and they say that flesh-meat is the حَمْض of men: (TA:) the n. un. is with ة: (Mgh:) and the pl. is حُمُوضٌ. (S, K.) [In Isaiah xxx. 24, the word rendered “ clean ” in our authorized version is thought by some to mean “ salt ” or “ sour. ”] ― -b2- Hence the saying, جَاؤُوا مُخِلِّينَ فَلَاقَوْا حَمْضَا (tropical:) They came eagerly desiring evil, or mischief, and found him who cured them of that which affected them: which is like the saying of Ru-beh, وَنُورِدُ المُسْتَوْرِدِينَ حَمْضَا (tropical:) And him who cometh to us seeking to do evil, or mischief, we cure of his disease: for camels, when they are satiated with خُلَّة, eagerly desire حَمْض [to cure them of the effect of the former]. (TA. [See also خُلِّىٌّ, in art. خل.]) ― -b3- Hence, also, by way of comparison, حَمْض is applied to (tropical:) Evil, and war: and خُلَّة, to ease, or repose; freedom from trouble or inconvenience, and toil or fatigue; or tranquillity; and ampleness of circumstances: (T and TA in art. خل:) and the former, to death: and the latter, to life. (Ham p. 315.) ― -b4- فُؤَادٌ حَمْضٌ and نَفْسٌ حَمْضةٌ mean (assumed tropical:) A mind that takes fright at a thing, and shrinks from it, at first hearing it. (TA.)