بحر

بَحْرٌ حر بحر [ A sea: and a great river: ] a spacious place comprising a large quantity of water; (B;) a large quantity of water, (K, TA,) whether salt or sweet; (TA;) contr. of بَرٌّ; (S, A;) so called because of its depth (S, TA) and large extent; (S, Msb, TA;) from البَحَارَةُ; (A;) or because its bed is trenched in the earth; see 1: (TA:) or a large quantity of salt water, only; (K;) and so called because of its saltness: (El-Umawee, TA: [but accord. to the A, this word as an epithet meaning “ salt ” is tropical:]) or rather this is its general meaning: (TA:) for it signifies also any great river; (S, M, TA;) any river of which the water does not cease to flow; (Zj, T, TA;) such as the Euphrates, for instance; (S;) or such as the Tigris, and the Nile, and other similar great rivers of sweet water; of which the great salt بَحْر is the place of confluence; so called because trenched in the earth: (T, TA:) pl. [of pauc.] أَبْحُرٌ and [of mult.] بِحَارٌ and بُحُورٌ. (S, Msb, K.) The dim. is ↓أُبَيْحِرٌ, (K,) which is anomalous; and ↓بُحَيْرٌ, which is the regular form: accord. to the K, the latter is not used; but this is untrue; for it is sometimes used, though rare. (MF.) ― -b2- Hence its application in the saying of the Arabs, يَا هَادِىَ اللَّيْلِ جُرْتَ اـِنَّمَا هُوَ البَحْرُ أَوِ الفَجْرُ, which Th explains by saying that the meaning is, (tropical:) [ O guide of the night, thou hast deviated from the right way: ] it is only destruction or thou wilt see the daybreak: the night is here likened to the sea [and with the night is associated the idea of destruction]: but accord. to one recital, it is البَجْرُ, instead of البَحْرُ. (TA. [See art. بجر.]) ― -b3- Also (tropical:) Salt; as an epithet, applied to water. (S, A.) ― -b4- (tropical:) A fleet, or swift, and excellent, horse; (As, K;) that runs much; (As, TA;) that takes a wide range in his running; (S, A, Msb, B;) that runs like the sea, or a great river; or like the sea, or a great river, when it rolls wave over wave. (Niftaweyh;, TA.) ― -b5- (tropical:) A generous man; (K, TA;) one who takes a wide range in his beneficence, bounty, or kindness; who abounds therein. (TA.) You say, لَقِيتُ بِزَيْدٍ بَحْرًا (tropical:) [ I found, in the place of Zeyd, a man of abundant generosity or beneficence ]: ب here denoting substitution. (The Lubáb cited in the TA voce بِ.) And لَقِيتُ مِنْهُ بَحْرًا (tropical:) [ I found him to be a man of exceeding generosity ]; a phrase expressing an intensive degree of generosity: and رَأَيْتُ مِنْهُ بَحْرًا [signifies the same]. (Mughnee in art. بِ.) ― -b6- (tropical:) A man of extensive knowledge or science; one who takes a wide range in his knowledge or science. (B.) ― -b7- (tropical:) Any person, or thing, that takes a wide range in a thing. (B.) ― -b8- (assumed tropical:) Land of seed-produce and fruitfulness; or a tract, or region, in which are green herbs or leguminous plants, and waters; or the part of a country near to water; syn. رِيفٌ: (Aboo-' Alee, K:) and the dim. ↓ بُحَيْرٌ is used in the same sense; or, by poetic licence, for ↓ بُحَيْرَةٌ. (TA.) So in the Kur [xxx. 40], ظَهَرَ الفَسَادُ فِى البَرِّ وَ البَحْرِ (assumed tropical:) [ Corruption hath appeared in the desert, or deserts, and in the land of seed-produce and fruitfulness; &c.]: (Aboo-'Alee, TA:) or the meaning here is, [ in the desert, or deserts, and in the towns, or villages, in which is water: (see بَرٌّ:) or in the open country and ] in the cities [or towns ] upon the rivers; by sterility in the former, and scarcity in the latter: (Zj, TA, and T in art. بر:) or in the land and the sea; i. e., the land has become sterile, or unfruitful, and the supply of the sea has become cut off. (Az, TA.) See also بَحْرَةٌ. ― -b9- Also, البَحْرُ, (S, K,) or بَحْرُ الرَّحِمِ, (A, Mgh,) (assumed tropical:) The bottom (عُمْق, S, A, Mgh, K, or قَعْر, IAth, TA) of the womb; fundus uteri: (S, A, Mgh, K:) whence blood of a pure red colour, (S,) or intensely red, (Mgh,) is termed بَحْرَانِىٌّ (S, Mgh) and بَاحِرٌ. (S.)