Edward William Lane, An Arabic-English Lexicon, ذ

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ذَرْعٌ ذ , in its primary acceptation, has the signification explained in the first sentence of this article. (S, TA.) ― -b2- [Hence, it is used in the sense of] (tropical:) Power, or ability; as also ↓ ذِرَاعٌ ; (TA;) or a man's reach, or extent of power or ability. (Msb.) And hence the phrases, ضَاقَ بِالأَمْرِ ذَرْعُهُ, and ↓ ذِرَاعُهُ , (K,) and ضَاقَ بِالأَمْرِ ذَرْعًا, (S, Msb, K,) in which the last word is in the accus. case as an explicative, for the original form of the phrase is that first mentioned, (TA,) and sometimes they said ↓ ذِرَاعًا , (S, TA,) (tropical:) He was unable to do, or accomplish, the thing, or affair; as though meaning, he stretched forth his arm to it and it did not reach it; (S, TA; *) or these phrases are thus used because he who is short in the fore arm will not reach that which he who is long therein reaches, nor will the power of the former equal that of the latter; therefore they are proverbially applied to him whose power falls short of the attainment, or accomplishment, of an affair: (TA:) or he lacked strength, or power, or ability, to do, or accomplish, the thing, or affair, and found not any way of escape from what was disagreeable therein: (K:) or he was unable to bear, or endure, or undertake, the thing, or affair. (Msb.) You say also, مَا لِى بِهِ ذَرْعٌ, and ↓ ذِرَاعٌ , (tropical:) I have not power, or ability, to do it. (TA.) And كَسَرَ ذٰلِكَ مِنْ ذَرْعِى (tropical:) That disabled, hindered, prevented, or withheld, me from doing that which I desired. (TA.) And اِقْصِدْ بِذَرْعِكَ (tropical:) Deal thou gently with thyself; moderate thyself restrain thyself; i. q. اِرْبَعْ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ; (S, TA;) and let not thy soul, or mind, carry thee beyond thy measure or extent [of power or ability]. (TA.) And أَبْطَرْتُ فُلَانًا ذَرْعهُ (tropical:) I imposed upon such a one more than he was able to do: (S, TA:) but ذَرْعٌ also signifies (assumed tropical:) the body: and [accord. to IAar] أَبَطَرَنِى ذَرْعِى means (tropical:) He wasted my body, and cut off my means of subsistence. (TA.) [See also art. بطر.] You likewise say, رَجُلٌ ↓ رَحْبُ الذِّرَاعِ [and الذَّرْعِ] (tropical:) A man having ample strength, and power, and might in war or fight, courage, valour, or prowess. (TA. [See also رَحْبٌ.]) And ضَعِيفُ الذَّرْعِ (tropical:) Impotent. (KL.) ― -b3- And hence, فُلَانٌ خَالِى الذَّرْعِ (tropical:) Such a one has his heart devoid of anxieties, or solicitudes, and griefs; because the heart is sometimes one of the seats of power: or it may mean, agreeably with the original signification of ذَرْعٌ, such a one is free from the causes of occupation which require the stretching forth of the fore arm and extending of the hand. (Har p. 131.) And رَجُلٌ وَاسِعٌ الذَّرْعِ, and ↓ الذِّرَاعِ , (tropical:) A man large, or liberal, in disposition. (K.) And كَبُرَ فِى ذَرْعِى (assumed tropical:) Its occurrence, or befalling, was of great moment, momentous, grievous, or distressing, to me. (TA.) ― -b4- ذَرْعٌ also signifies The measure of anything: and نَخْلَةٌ ذَرْعُ رَجَلٍ, A palm-tree of the measure of the stature of a man. (TA.)