عَامٌّ

particle n. of عَمَّ; applied to rain &c. [as meaning Common, or general, or universal; or generally, or universally, comprehensive: &c.: see 1, first sentence: opposite of خَاصٌّ]. (Msb.)

See also العَامَّةُ.

Also [A general word; i. e.] a word applied by a single application to many things, not restricted, including everything to which it is applicable: the words “ by a single application ” exclude the homonym, because this is by several applications; and the saying “ to many things ” excludes what is not applied to many things, as زَيْدٌ, and عَمْرٌو: and the words “ not restricted ” exclude the nouns of number, for المِايءِةُ, for instance, is applied by a single application to many things and includes everything to which it is applicable, but the many things are restricted: and the words “ including everything to which it is applicable ” exclude the indeterminate plural, as in the phrase رَأَيْتُ رِجَالًا, all men not being seen: and the word is either عامّ by its form and its meaning, as الرِّجَالُ, or عامّ by its meaning only, as الرَّهْطُ and القَوْمُ. (KT. [The word in this sense is often used in the lexicons, but is explained in few of them, as being conventional and post-classical.])