عَوْرَةٌ

The pudendum, or pudenda, (S, O, Msb, K,) of a human being, (S, O,) of a man and of a woman: (TA:) so called because it is abominable to uncover, and to look at, what is thus termed: (Msb:) said in the B to be from عَارٌ, meaning مَذَمَّةٌ: (TA:) [but see what is said voce عَارِيَّةٌ: the part, or parts, of the person, which it is indecent to expose:] in a man, what is between the navel and the knee: and so in a woman: (Jel in xxiv. 31:) or, in a free woman, all the person, except the face and the hands as far as the wrists; and respecting the hollow of the sole of the foot, there is a difference of opinion: in a female slave, like as in a man; and what appears of her in service, as the head and the neck and the fore arm, are not included in the term عورة. (TA.) [العَوْرَةُ المُغَلَّظَةُ means The anterior and posterior pudenda: العَوْرَةُ المُخَفَّفَةُ, the other parts included in the term عورة: so in the law-books.] The covering what is thus termed, in prayer and on other occasions, is obligatory: but respecting the covering the same in a private place, opinions differ. (TA.) The plural is عَوْرَاتٌ: (S, O, Msb:) for the second letter of the plural of فَعْلَةٌ as a subst. is movent only when it is not و nor ى: but some read [in the Qur'an, 24:31, عَوَرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ, (S, O,) which is of the dialect of Hudheyl. (Msb.)

A time in which it is proper for the عَوْرَة to appear; each of the following three times; before the prayer of daybreak; at midday; and after nightfall. (K.) These three times are mentioned in the Qur'an, 24:57. (TA.)

Anything that a man veils, or conceals, by reason of disdainful pride, or of shame or pudency: (Msb:) anything of which one is ashamed (S, O, K, TA) when it appears. (TA.)

See also عَوَرٌ.

(assumed tropical:) A woman: because one is ashamed at her when she appears, like as one is ashamed at the pudendum (العَوْرَة) when it appears: (L, TA:) or women. (Msb.)

Any place of concealment (مَكْمَنٌ) [proper] for veiling or covering. (K.)

A gap, an opening, or a breach, (T, Msb, K,) or any gap, opening, or breach, (S, O,) in the frontier of a hostile country, (T, S, O, Msb, K,) &c., (K,) or in war or battle, from which one fears (T, S, O, Msb) slaughter. (T.)

Sometimes it is applied as an epithet to an indeterminate subst.; and in this case it is applied to a singular and to a plural, without variation, and to a masculine and a feminine, like a verbal noun (TA.) It is said in the Qur'an, 33:13, إِنَّ بُيُوتَنَا عَوْرَةٌ (O, TA) [Verily our houses are open and exposed: or, as explained by Bd and others, defenceless]: the epithet being here singular; and the subst. to which it is applied, plural: (TA:) but in this instance it may be a contraction of ↓ عَوِرَةٌ; and thus it has been read: (Bd:) see عَوِرٌ.

Also, (K,) or [the plural] عَوْرَاتٌ, (S,) Clefts, or fissures, of mountains. (S, K.)