بَابٌ

, originally بَوَبٌ, (M, Msb,) A door; a gate; a place of entrance: and the thing with which a place of entrance, such as a door or gate, is closed; of wood &c.: (MF, TA:) plural أَبْوَابٌ (S, M, Msb, K) and بِيبَانٌ (M, K) and أَبْوِبَةٌ, (S, M, K,) [a plural of pauc., said to be] only used for conformity with another word mentioned therewith, as in the saying (of Ibn-Mukbil, so in a copy of the S),

هَتَّاكُ أَخْبِيَةٍ وَ لَّاجُ أَبْوِبَةٍ

[A frequent render of tents, a frequent enterer of doors], (S, M,) not being allowable when occurring alone; (S;) but IAar and Lh assert that it is a plural of باب without its being used for conformity with another word; (M;) and this is extr.; (M, K;) for باب is of the measure فَعَلٌ, and a word of this measure has not a plural of the measure أَفْعِلَةٌ [by rule]. (M.) You say, بَابٌ الدَّارِ [The door of the house]; and بَابُ البَيْتِ [the door of the house, and of the chamber, and of the tent]; (Msb;) and بَابُ البَلَدِ [the gate of the town or city]. (The Lexicons &c. passim.) And Bishr Ibn-Abee-Házim assigns a باب to a grave; calling the latter a بَيْت. (M.) It is also applied to an opening, or a channel, made for water, to irrigate seed-produce: plural أَبْوَابٌ. (Mgh.) [And in Egypt, it is applied also to A sepulchral chamber, grotto, or cave, hewn in a mountain; from the Coptic βηβ: plural بِيبَانٌ only.]

Hence, i. e. in a secondary application, the primary signification being “ a place of entrance, ” it is used as meaning (tropical:) A means of access, or of attainment, to a thing: (B, Kull, TK:) as in the saying, هٰذَا العِلْمُ بَابٌ إِلَى عِلْمِ كَذَا (tropical:) This science is a means of attainment to such a science. (B, TK.)

[And hence, (assumed tropical:) An expedient, a trick, a stratagem, or a process, by which something is to be effected plural أَبْوَابٌ: as in أَبْوَابُ الحَرْبِ the expedients. &c. of war, battle, or fight; and بَابٌ مِنَ النُّجُومِ a process of the science of the stars, meaning astrology or astronomy; and بَابٌ مِنَ السِّحْرِ a process of enchantment; see an example voce سِحْرٌ. Compare Matt. xvi. 18, πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αύτης, probably meaning “ the stratagems of Hell shall not prevail against it. ”]

[Also (assumed tropical:) A mode, kind, sort, class, or category.] Suweyd Ibn-Kuráa uses metaphorically the plural أَبْوَاب in relation to rhymes; saying,

أَتَيْتُ بِأَبْوَابِ القَوَافِى كَأَنَّمَا

أَذُودُ بِهَا سِرْبًا مِنَ الوَحْشِ نُزَّعَا

(tropical:) [I gave utterance to the various kinds of rhymes as though I were driving with them a herd of wild animals desirous of the males, or of their wonted places of pasture]. (M, L.) [You say also, هُوَ مِنْ هٰذَا البَابِ (assumed tropical:) It is of this mode, kind, sort, class, or category: a phrase of frequent occurrence in lexicons &c. See also بَابَةٌ.]

[Also (assumed tropical:) A chapter; and sometimes a section, or subdivision, of a chapter; of a book or writing;] conventionally, (assumed tropical:) a piece consisting of words relating to matters of one kind; and sometimes, to matters of one species: (Kull:) plural أَبْوَابٌ. (A.) See also بَابَةٌ.

[Also (assumed tropical:) A head, or class of items or articles, in an account, or a reckoning; as in the saying,] بَيَّنْتُ لَهُ حِسَابَهُ بَابًا بَابًا (assumed tropical:) [I explained, or made clear, to him his account, or reckoning, head by head, or each class of items or articles by itself]; a phrase mentioned by Sb: (M:) [or, sometimes,] بَابٌ (M, K) and ↓ بَابَةٌ (T, M, K) are used in relation to حُدُود [which here means the punishments so termed], and to an account, or a reckoning, (T, M, K,) and the like, (T, M,) as signifying the extreme term or limit; synonym غَايَةٌ; (M, K;) but IDrd hesitated respecting this, and therefore it is not mentioned in the S. (TA.)