سوق

سُوقٌ ذ [ A market, mart, or fair; ] a place in which commerce is carried on; (ISd, Msb, TA;) a place of articles of merchandise: (Mgh, TA:) so called because people drive their commodities thither: (TA:) [in the S unexplained, and in the K only said to be well-known:] of the fem. gender, and masc., (S, Mgh, Msb, K, *) the former in the dial. of the people of El-Hijáz, and the latter in that of Temeem, (S and Msb voce زُقَاقٌ, q. v.,) the former the more chaste, or the making it masc. is a mistake: (Msb:) pl. أَسْوَاقٌ: (TA:) the dim. is ↓ سُوَيْقَةٌ [with ة, confirming the opinion of those who hold سُوقٌ to be only fem.]: also signifying merchandise, syn. تِجَارَةٌ; as in the phrase, جَاءَتْ سُوَيْقَةٌ [ Merchandise came ]. (TA.) ― -b2- [Hence,] سُوقُ الحَرْبِ (tropical:) The thickest, or most vehement part (حَوْمَة) of the fight; (S, K, TA;) and so الحَرْبِ ↓ سُوقَةُ; i. e. the midst thereof. (TA.)