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رَاعٍ ذ [act. part. n. of 1]. You say مَاشِيَةٌ رَاعِيَةٌ Cattle [pasturing, or] pasturing by themselves: (Msb:) pl. رَوَاعِى [a mistranscription for رَوَاعٍ]. (TA.) ― -b2- رَاعِى البُسْتَانِ and الأُتُنِ ↓ رَاعِيَةُ are names of Two species of جَنَادِب [or locusts]; (K;) the latter mentioned by ISd: Sgh says that the former is a large جُنْدَب: and the latter is another species, that does not fly. (TA.) ― -b3- رَاعٍ also signifies A keeper, or guarder, (TA,) or pastor, (Msb,) of cattle: (Msb, TA:) an epithet in which the quality of a subst. is predominant: (TA:) pl. رُعَاةٌ, (S, Msb, TA,) but this is said to be mostly used as pl. of رَاعٍ in another sense as will be shown below, (TA,) and رِعَآءٌ [and app. رُعَآءٌ (mentioned below)] and رُعْيَانٌ; (S, Msb, TA;) and رُعَاةٌ has a pl., namely, رُعًى. (TA.) ― -b4- [Hence,] الرَّاعِى is the name of The star [a] that is upon the head of الحَوَّآء [i. e. Ophiuchus]: that which is upon the head of الحاوى [a mistranscription in my MS. for الجَاثِى, i. e. Hercules, the star a,] being called كَلْبُ الرَّاعِى. (Kzw.) Also The star [ γ ] that is upon the left leg of Cepheus: between whose legs is a star [app. K] that is called كَلْبُ الرَّاعِى: (Kzw:) [from their longitudes it seems that these two stars are the same as are meant by what here follows:] الكَلْبُ [or كَلْبُ الرَّاعِى] is a certain star over against الدَّلْو [or Aquarius, which latter is] below; in the path of which is a red [or perhaps another (آخَر instead of أَحْمَر）] star, called الرَّاعِى. (TA in art. كلب.) [And accord. to Freytag, رَاعِى الجَوْزَآءِ is the name of A star otherwise called the Foot of Orion: and رَاعِى النَّعَائِمِ, the name of The star λ in Sagittarius: see Ideler's “ Untersuch. über den Ursprung etc. der Sternnamen, ” to which he refers, pp. 213, 226, for the former; and p. 187 for the latter.] ― -b5- [And hence,] رَاعٍ signifies also A ruler, or governor, (S, K,) or prince, or commander, (Msb,) who manages, conducts, orders, or regulates, the affairs of a people: (Msb, K:) and a ruler, or governor, of himself: (TA:) pl. رُعَاةٌ and رُعْيَانٌ, (K,) but it is said that the former is mostly used as meaning rulers, or governors, and the latter as pl. of رَاعٍ in relation to sheep or goats [or the like], (TA,) and رِعَآءٌ and رُعَآءٌ. (K.) It is said in a trad., كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْؤُولٌ عِنْ ↓ رَعِيَّتِهِ [Every one of you is a ruler, or governor, and every one of you shall be questioned respecting those, or that, of which he is ruler or governor]: such is the man in respect of his family, and in respect of the property of his father; and the servant in respect of the property of his master; and the wife is a رَاعِيَة in respect of the house, or tent, of her husband: and every one of these shall be questioned respecting his, or her, رَعِيَّة. (ElJámi' es-Sagheer of Es-Suyootee.) And one says, كَالرَّاعِى ↓ لَيْسَ المَرْعِىُّ [The ruled, or governed, is not like the ruler, or governor]. (S.) ― -b6- In the saying of El-Karkhee, بَاعَ طَيْرًا عَلَى أَنَّهُ رَاعٍ, relating to [carrier-] pigeons, it is from الرِّعَايَةُ signifying الوَفَآءُ; [the saying meaning He sold birds on the condition of their being such as would be faithful to their charge;] for pigeons in El- 'Irák and Syria are bought for high prices, and sent from distant points with letters of informations, and convey them, and bring back replies to them. (Mgh, JM.)
An Arabic-English Lexicon. London. Williams and Norgate. 1863.

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