شُعْبَةٌ

See شَعْبٌ.

Also The space, or interstice, between two horns: and between two branches: (K:) plural شُعَبٌ and شِعَابٌ, (K, * TA,) in this and all the following senses. (TA.)

And A cleft in a mountain, to which birds (الطَّيْرُ, for which المَطَرُ is erroneously substituted in [several of] the copies of the K, TA) resort: plural as above. (K, TA.)

Also A branch of a tree, (S, A, * Mgh, * Msb, TA,) growing out a part, or divaricating, therefrom: (Msb, * TA:) or the extremity of a branch: (K, TA: [said in the latter to be tropical in this latter sense; but why, I see not:]) plural شُعَبٌ (S, Mgh, Msb, TA) and شِعَابٌ, as above. (TA.) And شُعَبُ الغُصْنِ The divaricating, or straggling, [branchlets, or] extremities [or shoots or stalks] of the branch. (TA.) And [hence] عَصًا فِى رَأْسِهَا شُعْبَتَانِ [A staff having at his head two forking portions or projections]; (A, TA;) and Az mentions, as heard by him from the Arabs, ↓ شُعْبَانِ, without ت, instead of شُعْبَتَانِ in this phrase. (L, TA.) And شُعْبَةٌ مِنْ رَيْحَانٍ [A sprig, spray, bunch, or branchlet, of sweet basil, or of sweet-smelling plants]: and شُعْبَةٌ مِنْ شَعَرٍ [and مِنْ صُوفٍ A lock, or flock, of hair and of wool]. (JK in article طوق.) And أَنَا شُعْبَةٌ مِنْ دَوْحَتِكَ (tropical:) [I am a branch, or branchlet, of thy great tree]. (A, TA.) And مَسْأَلَةٌ كَثِيرَةُ الشُّعَبِ (assumed tropical:) [A question having many branches, or ramifications]. (Msb.) And [the plural] شُعَبٌ [as meaning] (tropical:) The fingers: (K, TA:) one says, قَبَضَ عَلَيْهِ بِشُعَبِ يَدِهِ (tropical:) He laid hold upon it with his fingers. (A, TA.) And قَعَدَ بَيْنَ شُعْبَتَيْهَا (tropical:) He sat between her two legs: (A:) and بَيْنَ شُعَبِهَا الأَرْبَعِ (tropical:) [He sat (in the Mgh قَعَدَ, as implied in the A, and in the Msb جَلَسَ,)] between her arms and her legs; (A, Mgh, Msb, K;) or between her legs and the شُفْرَانِ [dual of شُفْرٌ, q. v.,] of her فَرْج; (A, Mgh, K;) occurring in a tradition; (Mgh, Msb;) an allusion to جِمَاع. (A, Mgh, Msb, K.) And شُعْبَتَا الرَّحْلِ (assumed tropical:) The شَرْخَانِ [or two upright pieces of wood] of the camel's saddle; its قَادِمَة and its اخِرَه. (Mgh.) And اِغْرِزِ اللَّحْمَ فِى شُعَبِ السَّفُّودِ (tropical:) [Infix thou the flesh-meat upon the prongs of the roastinginstrument]. (A, TA.) And شُعْبَةُ مِنْجَلٍ (assumed tropical:) [A tooth of a reaping-hook]. (K in article سن.) And شُعْبَةٌ مِنْ شُعَبِ السِّينِ (assumed tropical:) [A tooth, or cusp, of the teeth, or cusps, of the س]; the شُعَب of the س being three. (S and L in article س.) And شُعَبُ الفَرَسِ (tropical:) The outer parts, or regions, of the horse (أَقْطَارُهُ, A, or نَوَاحِيهِ, K); all of them: (K:) or the prominent parts (S, K) of them, (K,) or of him; (S, and so in some copies of the K;) as the neck, and the مِنْسَج [or withers, &c.], (S, TA,) and the crests of the hips, (TA,) or such as his head, and his حَارِك [or withers, &c.], and the crests of his hips. (A.)

Also A small water-course, or channel in which water flows; as in the phrase شُعْبَةٌ حَافِلٌ a small water-course filled with a torrent: (S:) or a water-course in sand; (K;) or in the elevated part of a depressed tract into which sand has poured and remained. (TA.) And A small portion of a [water-course such as is called] تَلْعَة; or what is smaller than a تَلْعَة; according to different copies of the K; الشُّعْبَةُ being explained as meaning مَا صَغُرَ مِنَ التَّلْعَةِ, and, in one copy, عَنِ التَّلْعَةِ. (TA.) And Such as is large, of the channels for irrigation of valleys: (K, TA:) or, as some say, a branch from a تَلْعَة, and from a valley, or torrent-bed, taking a different course therefrom: plural as above. (TA.)

And A portion, part, or piece, of a thing; or somewhat thereof: (S, Msb, K, TA:) plural as above. (TA.) One says, اِشْعَبْ لِى شُعْبَةً مِنَ المَالِ Give thou to me a portion of the property. (TA.) And فِى يَدِهِ شُعْبَةُ خَيْرٍ (assumed tropical:) [In his hand is somewhat of good, or of wealth]. (TA.) And it is said in a tradition, الحَيَاءُ شُعْبَةٌ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ (assumed tropical:) Modesty is a part of faith: and in another, الشَّبَابُ شُعْبَةٌ مِنَ الجُنُونِ (assumed tropical:) [Youth is a part of insanity]. (TA.) In explanation of the phrase, in the Qur'an, 77:30, إِلَى ظِلٍّ ذِى ثَلَاثِ شُعَبٍ [Unto a shade, or shadow, having three parts, or divisions], it is said that the fire [of Hell], on the day of resurrection, will divide into three parts; and whenever they shall attempt to go forth to a place, it will repel them: by ظِلّ being here meant that the fire will form a covering; for [literally] there will be no ظِلّ in this case. (Th, L.)

And A piece such as is called رُوءبَة, with which a wooden bowl [or the like] is repaired. (S.)

Accord. to Lth, (T, TA,) شُعَبُ الدَّهْرِ means (tropical:) The changes, or vicissitudes, of time or fortune; (T, A, TA;) and he cites the saying of Dhu-r-Rummeh,

وَلَا تُقَسِّمُ شَعْبًا وَاحِدًا شُعَبُ

which he explains by saying, i. e. I thought that one thing, or state of things, would not be divided into many things, or states: [i. e. Nor did I think that the vicissitudes of fortune would divide one whole body of men into many parties:] but Az disapproves of this explanation, and says that شُعَب here means Intentions, designs, or purposes: he says that the poet describes tribes assembled together in the [season called] رَبِيع, who, when they desired to return to the watering-places, differed in their intentions, or designs; wherefore he says, Nor did I think that various intentions would divide [one whole body of men who before had] a consentient intention. (L, TA.)

[See also the plural شِعَابٌ below.]