عِلْبَاءٌ
1.
[perfectly decl., because the ء is a letter of quasi-coordination, i. e., added to render the word quasi-coordinate to the class of قِرْطَاسٌ and the like,] The عَصَب
of the neck; [apparently meaning the upper, cervical, tendinous portion of the trapezius muscle;] (S, O, K; [in all of which, mention is made of the علباء of the camel, to which it seems to be most commonly applied, and also to that of a man;]) it is one of a pair, and between one
علباء
and the other is the place of growth of the mane; (S, O;) Az explains it as specially applied to the thick
عَصَب; and IAth, as the عَصَب
in the neck, extending to the
كَاهِل [or part between the two shoulder-blades]: ISd says that it is synonym with
عَقَبٌ [q. v.]: (TA:) [it is also said that] it signifies the عَصَبَة [i. e. tendon, or sinew,] that extends in the neck: (Msb:) or the yellow
عَصَبَة
in the side (صَفْحَة) of the neck; one of a pair: (A:) and the عِلْبَاوَانِ in a man are [said to be] the two yellow tendons or sinews (العَصَبَتَانِ
الصَّفْرَاوَانِ) in the
مَتْن [or part next the spine, on either side,] of the neck: (Zj in his “ Khalk el-Insán: ”) [but of all the meanings thus assigned to it, the first seems to be the most proper, or at least the most usual: see Q. Q. 1:] the Arabs used to bind therewith, in the fresh, or moist, state, the أَجْفَان [or sheaths] of their swords, and also their spears when cracked, and it dried upon them, and became strong: (IAth, TA:) the word is masculine, (Lh, TA,) or [it is masculine and feminine, but] the making it feminine is preferred [though this is contr. to analogy]: (Msb:) the dual is عِلْبَاوَانِ (S, A, O, Msb) and عِلْبَا انِ; (S, O, Msb, K;) [the former apparently the more common, but the latter the more proper;] for the ء [in the singular] is a letter of quasi-coordination [and therefore properly with tenween]; but if you will, you may liken it to the feminine ء that is in حَمْرَاءُ [of which the dual is more properly حَمْرَاوَانِ], or to the radical ء [or rather the ء that is substituted for the last radical letter] in كِسَاءٌ [of which the dual is more pro- perly كِسَا انِ]: (S, O:) and the plural is عَلَابِىُّ. (S, O, K.) You say of a man when he has become advanced in age, تَشَنَّجَ عِلْبَاءُ الرَّجُلِ [The
علباء
of the man has become contracted]. (S, O.)
2.
The plural عَلَابِىُّ is explained in the K as signifying also Lead: and in the S as signifying lead, or a kind thereof: (TA:) El-Kutabee says, “ I have been told that العَلَابِىُّ signifies lead; but I am not sure of it: ” and Az says, “ I know not any one who has said it, and it is not true; ” (O, TA;) and this is the case: (O:) MF observes that its explanation as signifying lead requires it to be a singular of a plural form, or a plural that has no singular, like أَبَابِيلُ and عَبَادِيدُ: (TA:) in a tradition, mention is made of swords of which the ornaments were العلابىّ and الانُك; (O, TA;) and the coupling of these two words together has led to the supposition that the former means lead; but there is no evading the fact that it is the plural of علبَاء meaning the عَصَب of the camel. (TA.)