← Back to Al-Sihah

كثء

Root entry · 3 derived lemmas

This root primarily describes the process of rising to the surface, foaming, or growing. It is applied to liquids like milk and boiling pots, as well as to the growth of hair or plants.

Derived headwords

كَثَأَverb
  1. 1.
    to rise and clarifyclassical

    Said of milk, when the thicker part rises above the clearer liquid beneath.

  2. 2.
    to foamclassical

    Said of a pot when it begins to bubble and foam as it boils.

  3. 3.
    to growclassical

    Said of hair (like camel's wool) or plants, meaning to sprout or grow.

  4. 4.
    to eat the creamclassical

    Said of someone who eats the cream or thick part that rises to the top of milk.

كَثْءnoun
  1. 1.
    foamclassical

    The foam or scum that rises from a boiling pot.

  2. 2.
    creamclassical

    The thick part of milk that rises to the surface.

تَكْثِئَةnoun
  1. 1.
    sproutingclassical

    The act of sprouting or growing, applied to hair or plants.

Parallel reading

كَثَأَ اللبنُ يكثَأُ كَثْأً، إذا ارتفع فوق الماء وصفا الماء من تحته.
Milk rises (yaktha'u kath'an) when it ascends above the water and the water beneath it becomes clear.
وكَثَأتِ القدرُ كَثْأً، إذا أزبدت للغلي.
And the pot foamed (kath'at kath'an) when it bubbled for boiling.
خذ كثأةَ قدرِك وكثأةَ قدرِك، وهو: ما ارتفع منها بعد ما تغلي.
Take the foam of your pot, which is what rises from it after it boils.
وكَثَأتْ أوبارُ الإبلِ: نبتتْ.
And the camel's wool grew (kath'at): it sprouted.
وكذلك كثأ اللبنُ الوبرُ والنبتُ تكثئةً.
And likewise, milk, wool, and plants sprout (takthi'atan).
وأنت امرؤٌ قد كثأتْ لك لحيةٌ كأنك منها قاعدٌ في جوالق.
And you are a man whose beard has grown, as if you were sitting in sacks because of it.
ويقال أيضاً: كثأتْ، إذا أكلتَ ما على رأس اللبن.
It is also said: 'kath'at', if you ate what is on top of the milk.