عُمْدَةٌ

A thing by which another thing is stayed, propped, or supported; a stay, prop, or support; as also ↓ عِمَادٌ; of which latter the plural [or rather quasi-plural n.] is ↓ عَمَدٌ; (Msb;) as it is also of عَمُودٌ: (S, Msb, &c.:) a thing upon which one leans, reclines, or bears; upon which one stays, props, or supports, himself: a thing upon which one relies: (S, * O, * L, * K, TA:) and أَمْرٍ ↓ عِمَادُ (S and K voce قِوَامٌ) and ↓ عَمُودُهُ and ↓ عَمِيدُهُ (L) signify the stay, or support, of a thing or an affair; that whereon it rests, or whereby it subsists; its efficient cause of subsistence; that without which it would not subsist: (L, and S * and K * ubi suprà:) and ↓ مُعْتَمَدٌ, applied to a man, is synonym with سَنَدٌ [meaning a person upon whom one leans, rests, stays himself, or relies; a man's stay, support, or object of reliance; like عَمْدَةٌ and ↓ عِمَادٌ]: (S and K * in article سند:) عُمْدَةٌ is used alike as masculine and feminine and as singular and dual and plural: (TA:) one says, أَنْتَ عُمْدَتُنَا Thou art he to whom we betake ourselves, or have recourse, in our necessities; (A;) or عُمْدَ تُنَا فِى الشَّدَايءِدِ our stay, or support, or object of reliance, (↓ مُعْتَمَدُنَا,) in difficulties: (Msb:) and أَنْتُمْ عُمْدَتُنَا Ye are they upon whom we stay ourselves, or rely: (TA:) and one says also حَيِّهِ ↓ هُوَ عَمُودُ He is the stay, or support, of his tribe: (A:) and القَوْمِ ↓ عِمَادُ means the stay, support, or object of reliance, of the people, or party; synonym سَنَدُهُمْ. (Ham p. 457.) See also عَمُودٌ, second quarter.

[Hence, as used by grammarians,] (assumed tropical:) An indispensable member of a proposition; as, for instance, the agent; opposite of فَضْلَةٌ. (I'Ak p. 143.)

Also An intention, a purpose, an aim, or a course: so in the phrase اِلْزَمْ عُمْدَتَكَ [Keep to thy intention, &c.]. (A.)