بَاب

baAbN A^b A_b bA^b bA_b bAb b|b |b , originally bawabN , (M, Msb,) A door; a gate; a place of entrance: and the thing with which a place of entrance, such as a door or gate, is closed; of wood &c.: (MF, TA:) pl. A^abowaAbN (S, M, Msb, K) and biybaAnN (M, K) and A^abowibapN , (S, M, K,) [a pl. of pauc., said to be] only used for conformity with another word mentioned therewith, as in the saying (of Ibn-Mukbil, so in a copy of the S), hat~aAku A^axobiyapK wa l~aAju A^abowibapK [ A frequent render of tents, a frequent enterer of doors ], (S, M,) not being allowable when occurring alone; (S;) but IAar and Lh assert that it is a pl. of bAb without its being used for conformity with another word; (M;) and this is extr.; (M, K;) for bAb is of the measure faEalN , and a word of this measure has not a pl. of the measure A^afoEilapN [by rule]. (M.) You say, baAbN Ald~aAri [ The door of the house ]; and baAbu Albayoti [ the door of the house, and of the chamber, and of the tent ]; (Msb;) and baAbu Albaladi [ the gate of the town or city ]. (The Lexicons &c. passim.) And Bishr Ibn-Abee-Házim assigns a bAb to a grave; calling the latter a bayot . (M.) It is also applied to an opening, or a channel, made for water, to irrigate seed-produce: pl. A^abowaAbN . (Mgh.) [And in Egypt, it is applied also to A sepulchral chamber, grotto, or cave, hewn in a mountain; from the Coptic βηβ : pl. biybaAnN only.] ― -b2- Hence, i. e. in a secondary application, the primary signification being “ a place of entrance, ” it is used as meaning (tropical:) A means of access, or of attainment, to a thing: (B, Kull, TK:) as in the saying, h`*aA AlEilomu baAbN A_ilaY Eilomi ka*aA (tropical:) This science is a means of attainment to such a science. (B, TK.) ― -b3- [And hence, (assumed tropical:) An expedient, a trick, a stratagem, or a process, by which something is to be effected pl. A^abowaAbN : as in A^abowaAbu AlHarobi the expedients. &c. of war, battle, or fight; and baAbN mina Aln~ujuwmi a process of the science of the stars, meaning astrology or astronomy; and baAbN mina Als~iHori a process of enchantment; see an ex. voce siHorN . Compare Matt. xvi. 18, πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αύτης , probably meaning “ the stratagems of Hell shall not prevail against it. ”] ― -b4- [Also (assumed tropical:) A mode, kind, sort, class, or category. ] Suweyd Ibn-Kuráa uses metaphorically the pl. A^abowaAb in relation to rhymes; saying, A^atayotu biA^abowaAbi AlqawaAfiY kaA^an~amaA A^a*uwdu bihaA sirobFA mina AlwaHo$i nuz~aEaA (tropical:) [ I gave utterance to the various kinds of rhymes as though I were driving with them a herd of wild animals desirous of the males, or of their wonted places of pasture ]. (M, L.) [You say also, huwa mino h`*aA AlbaAbi (assumed tropical:) It is of this mode, kind, sort, class, or category: a phrase of frequent occurrence in lexicons &c. See also baAbapN .] ― -b5- [Also (assumed tropical:) A chapter; and sometimes a section, or subdivision, of a chapter; of a book or writing;] conventionally, (assumed tropical:) a piece consisting of words relating to matters of one kind; and sometimes, to matters of one species: (Kull:) pl. A^abowaAbN . (A.) See also baAbapN . ― -b6- [Also (assumed tropical:) A head, or class of items or articles, in an account, or a reckoning; as in the saying,] bay~anotu lahu HisaAbahu baAbFA baAbFA (assumed tropical:) [ I explained, or made clear, to him his account, or reckoning, head by head, or each class of items or articles by itself ]; a phrase mentioned by Sb: (M:) [or, sometimes,] baAbN (M, K) and ↓ baAbapN (T, M, K) are used in relation to Huduwd [which here means the punishments so termed], and to an account, or a reckoning, (T, M, K,) and the like, (T, M,) as signifying the extreme term or limit; syn. gaAyapN ; (M, K;) but IDrd hesitated respecting this, and therefore it is not mentioned in the S. (TA.)