ذَوَاقٌ

a verbal noun: and also a subst. signifying A thing that is tasted; (JM, TA; *) of the measure فَعَالٌ in the sense of the measure مَفْعُولٌ. (TA.) It is said of Mohammad, لَمْ يَكُنْ يَذُمُّ ذَوَاقًا وَلَا يَمْدَحُهُ, i. e. [He used not to praise] what was tasted [by him nor to dispraise it]. (JM.) And one says, مَا ذُقْتُ ذَوَاقًا, meaning I tasted not anything. (S, K. *)

Hence it is said in a tradition, كَانُوا إِذَا خَرَجُوا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ لَا يَتَفَرَّقُونَ إِلَّا عَنْ ذَوَاقٍ, i. e. (assumed tropical:) [They used, when they went forth from his (Mohammad's) presence, not to disperse themselves save after receiving] knowledge and discipline that were, to their minds and souls, as food and drink to their bodies. (JM.)