عنكب

Root entry · 16 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the spider and its web, extending to related concepts of fragility, weakness, and things that are thin or delicate. It also encompasses terms for small, creeping creatures and, metaphorically, for something short or stunted.

Derived headwords

العَنْكَبُوتnoun

1.
spiderboth
A small, crawling creature that spins a fine, flimsy web, often found in the air or near wells. It is typically feminine but can be masculine in poetry.
2.
spider's webboth
The delicate, flimsy structure spun by a spider.
3.
larvae in honeyclassical
Worms or larvae that generate in honey and spoil it.

مما يسدي العنكبوت إذ خلا — From what the spider spins when it is empty

كأن نسج العنكبوت المرمل — As if it were the web of the spider on the sand

مثل الذين اتخذوا من دون الله أولياء كمثل العنكبوت اتخذت بيتاً — The example of those who take protectors other than Allah is like the spider that takes a house

عَنْكَبnoun

1.
male spiderclassical
The male of the spider.
2.
short personclassical
A short or stunted person, used metaphorically.

العنكب الذكر منها، والعنكبة الأنثى — The 'ankab is the male of it, and the 'ankabah is the female.

عَنْكَبَةnoun

1.
female spiderclassical
The female of the spider.

العنكب الذكر منها، والعنكبة الأنثى — The 'ankab is the male of it, and the 'ankabah is the female.

عَنْكَبَاءnoun

1.
spider (variant)classical
A variant form of the word for spider, possibly indicating an added 'ta' (تاء). It is unclear if it refers to the singular or plural.

عنكباء، مستشهدا على زيادة التاء في عنكبوت — 'Ankabā', citing it as evidence for the addition of the 'ta' in 'ankabūt.

عَنْكَبُوتَاتnoun

1.
spiders (plural)both
The plural form of 'spider'.

عَنَاكِبnoun

1.
spiders (plural)both
A broken plural form of 'spider'.

عَنَاكِيبnoun

1.
spiders (plural)both
Another broken plural form of 'spider'.

عُنَيْكِبnoun

1.
small spiderboth
The diminutive form of 'spider'.

عُنَيْكِيبnoun

1.
small spiderboth
Another diminutive form of 'spider'.

عَكْنَبَاةnoun

1.
spider (Yemen dialect)classical
A term for a spider used in the dialect of Yemen.

كأنما يسقط، من لغامها، بيت عكنباة على زمامها — As if from its foam, the house of 'Aknabāh falls upon its bridle.

عَنْكَبَاهnoun

1.
spider (variant)classical
Another variant term for a spider.

عَنْكَبُوهnoun

1.
spider (variant)classical
Another variant term for a spider.

العُكْدَبَةnoun

1.
spider's webclassical
A term for the house or web of a spider.

ويقال لبيت العنكبوت: العكدبة — And the spider's house is called: al-'Uqdabah.

مُعَنْكَبadjective

1.
bentclassical
Bent or curved, particularly referring to horns that have become like a ring.

يقال للتيس إنه لمعنكب القرن، حتى صار كأنه حلقة — It is said of a ram that its horn is 'mu'ankab, until it becomes like a ring.

المُشْعَنْبِبadjective

1.
straightclassical
Straight or upright.

المشعنب: المستقيم — Al-Mush'anbib: the straight.

عَنْكَبadjective

1.
shortclassical
Short or stunted, used as a description.

مقت نساء، بالحجاز، صوالحا، وإنا مقتنا كل سوداء عنكب — We disdained women, in Hijaz, of good character, and indeed we disdained every black, short woman.

Parallel reading

دويبة تنسج، في الهواء وعلى رأس البئر، نسجا رقيقا مهلهلا، مؤنثة

A small creature that spins, in the air and at the head of the well, a thin, flimsy web, and it is feminine.

مما يسدي العنكبوت إذ خلا

From what the spider spins when it is empty.

كأن نسج العنكبوت المرمل

As if it were the web of the spider on the sand.

والتأنيث في العنكبوت أكثر

And the feminine usage for 'spider' is more common.

والجمع: العنكبوتات، وعناكب، وعناكيب

And the plurals are: 'ankabūtāt, 'anākib, and 'anākīb.

وتصغيرها: عنيكب وعنيكيب

And its diminutive forms are: 'unaykib and 'unaykīb.

وهي بلغة اليمن: عكنباة

And it is, in the language of Yemen: 'Aknabāh.

كأنما يسقط، من لغامها، بيت عكنباة على زمامها

As if from its foam, the house of 'Aknabāh falls upon its bridle.

ويقال لها أيضا: عنكباه وعنكبوه

And it is also called: 'Ankabāh and 'Ankabūh.

وحكى سيبويه: عنكباء، مستشهدا على زيادة التاء في عنكبوت

And Sībawayh narrated: 'Ankabā', citing it as evidence for the addition of the 'ta' in 'ankabūt.

العنكب الذكر منها، والعنكبة الأنثى

The 'ankab is the male of it, and the 'ankabah is the female.

وقيل: العنكب جنس العنكبوت، وهو يذكر ويؤنث، أعني العنكبوت

And it is said: 'Al-'ankab is the genus of the spider, and it is used as masculine and feminine, meaning the spider.

مقت نساء، بالحجاز، صوالحا، وإنا مقتنا كل سوداء عنكب

We disdained women, in Hijaz, of good character, and indeed we disdained every black, short woman.

يجوز أن يكون العنكب، هاهنا، هو العنكب الذي ذكر سيبويه أنه لغة في عنكبوت

It is possible that 'al-'ankab here is the 'ankab that Sībawayh mentioned as a variant for 'ankabūt.

العنكبوت: دود يتولد في الشهد، ويفسد عنه العسل

The 'ankabūt: worms that generate in honey, and spoil the honey.

يقال للتيس إنه لمعنكب القرن، حتى صار كأنه حلقة

It is said of a ram that its horn is 'mu'ankab, until it becomes like a ring.

المشعنب: المستقيم

Al-Mush'anbib: the straight.

ضرب الله بيت العنكبوت مثلا لمن اتخذ من دون الله وليا أنه لا ينفعه ولا يضره، كما أن بيت العنكبوت لا يقيها حرا ولا بردا

Allah struck the spider's house as an example for those who take protectors other than Allah, that it neither benefits nor harms them, just as the spider's house does not protect it from heat or cold.

ويقال لبيت العنكبوت: العكدبة

And the spider's house is called: al-'Uqdabah.