أَسِيرٌ

i. q. ↓ مَأْسُورٌ; (S, TA;) Bound with an إِسَار: (M, TA:) shackled: (K:) imprisoned: (Mujáhid, M, K:) captived, or a captive; (S, M, K;) absolutely, (TA,) although not bound with an اسار: (S:) and ↓ إِسَارٌ is sometimes used in the same sense. (Msb.) اسير is also applied as an epithet to a woman, (Mgh, Msb,) when the woman is mentioned; but otherwise أَسِيرَةٌ is used as the feminine: you say, قَتَلْتُ الأَسِيرَةَ [I slew the female captive], like as you say, رَأَيْتُ القَتِيلَةَ. (Msb.) The plural is أَسْرَى (S, M, Msb, K) and أَسَرَاءُ (M, K) and (according to several authors, pls. of أَسْرَى, TA) أُسَارَى (S, M, Msb, K) and أَسَارَى: (M, K:) the first of these forms of plural is proper to epithets applied to those who are hurt or afflicted in their bodies or their intellects: (Aboo-Is-hák:) it is used in this instance because a captive is like one wounded or stung. (Th, M.)