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معل

Root entry · 9 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the semantic field of snatching, stealing, and hastening. It extends to actions involving quick, forceful removal or disruption, such as castrating, snatching objects, or rushing a task. It also encompasses notions of speed and urgency in movement or action.

Derived headwords

مَعَلَverb
  1. 1.
    to castrateclassical

    To remove the testicles of an animal, such as a donkey, or other creatures.

  2. 2.
    to snatchboth

    To snatch or seize something quickly.

  3. 3.
    to stealboth

    To steal or pilfer something, often implying a swift action.

  4. 4.
    to hastenboth

    To make something happen quickly or to urge someone along.

  5. 5.
    to rushboth

    To proceed with haste, especially in a task, potentially leading to its disruption or spoiling.

  6. 6.
    to speed upboth

    To move or travel with great speed.

  7. 7.
    to cut apartclassical

    To sever or cut apart parts of something, such as the reins of a mount.

  8. 8.
    to splitclassical

    To split or cleave wood.

  9. 9.
    to extractclassical

    To extract something by pulling, such as drawing out a camel's udder due to shyness, by hastening it.

  10. 10.
    to fall uponclassical

    To fall upon someone or something.

مَعْلًاnoun
  1. 1.
    snatchingboth

    The act of snatching or stealing something quickly.

  2. 2.
    hasteboth

    The act of hastening or rushing.

  3. 3.
    speedboth

    The act of moving or traveling with speed.

  4. 4.
    splittingclassical

    The act of splitting or cleaving.

  5. 5.
    evilclassical

    Evil or mischief, though this usage is noted as likely a misspelling of a word with 'ghayn'.

مَمْعُولadjective
  1. 1.
    castratedclassical

    Having had one's testicles removed.

أَمْعَلَهُverb
  1. 1.
    to hastenboth

    To make something happen quickly or to urge someone along.

مِعْوَلَةnoun
  1. 1.
    bellyclassical

    Refers to the belly, with a specific pronunciation indicated.

مُعْتَلّadjective
  1. 1.
    hastyboth

    One who is hasty or in a hurry.

  2. 2.
    swiftboth

    One who is quick or light, especially a young person.

اِمْتَعَلَverb
  1. 1.
    to engage in swift combatclassical

    To engage in a rapid exchange of blows or to parry attacks with speed and stealth.

مُعَلّadjective
  1. 1.
    swiftclassical

    Describing a young person who is quick and agile.

مَعْلَةnoun
  1. 1.
    evilclassical

    Evil or mischief, though this usage is noted as likely a misspelling of a word with 'ghayn'.

Parallel reading

معل الحمار، وغيره، كمنع: استل خصييه
He castrated the donkey, or other animals, like 'mana'a': he removed its testicles.
معل الشيء، يمعله معلا: اختطفه.
He snatched the thing, snatching it with a snatch.
إني إذا ما الأمر كان معلا أي اختلاسا.
Indeed, when the matter was a snatch, meaning a swift theft.
معله عن حاجته: أعجله وأزعجه، كأمعله، كما في الصحاح.
He hastened him from his need: he made him hurry and agitated him, like 'am'alahu', as in Al-Sihah.
معل أمره معلا: عجل به، قبل أصحابه، وقطعه وأفسده بإعجاله.
He rushed his affair with haste: he hurried it, got ahead of his companions, and disrupted and spoiled it by his haste.
وإن يسيروا يمعلوا الرواحا
And if they travel, they will hasten the departure.
معل ركابه يمعلها: قطع بعضها عن بعض، عن ثعلب.
He cut his mount's reins, severing some from others, according to Tha'lab.
معل الخشبة معلا: شقها.
He split the wood with a splitting.
معل الرجل معلا: مد الحوار من حياء الناقة، يعجله بذلك، قيل: هو إذا استخرجه بعجلة.
The man hastened the camel's udder from the she-camel's shyness, making it hurry thereby; it is said: it is when he extracts it with haste.
معل به عند فلان معلا: إذا وقع به.
He fell upon him with him, meaning if he fell upon him.
يقال: هو صاحب معالة: أي شر، هكذا أورده، والصحيح أنه بالغين المعجمة، كما سيأتي.
It is said: he is a master of 'ma'alah': meaning evil, thus he recorded it, and the correct form is with the emphatic 'ghayn', as will be mentioned later.
والمعل، ككتف: المستعجل.
And 'al-mu'all', like 'katif': the one who is hasty.
وبطن معولة، بضم العين وسكون الواو: ع، أو هو معولة كمرحلة، فمحله عول.
And 'baṭn mu'awilah', with a damma on the 'ayn' and sukun on the 'waw': is the belly, or it is 'mu'awilah' like 'marḥalah', so its place is 'awl'.
قال ابن الأعرابي: امتعل فلان: إذا دارك الطعان في اختلاس وسرعة.
Ibn al-A'rabi said: So-and-so engaged in 'imti'aal': meaning he engaged in combat with snatching and speed.
والمعل: الاختلاس بسرعة في الحرب.
And 'al-mu'all': is snatching with speed in war.
وغلام معل، ككتف: خفيف.
And a 'mu'all' boy, like 'katif': is light (agile).
ومالك منه معل: أي بد.
And from him is 'ma'l': meaning a substitute or replacement.