دُلْجَةٌ

and ↓ دَلْجَةٌ and ↓ دَلَجٌ, (S, K,) all substs., (S,) A journeying from the beginning of the night: (S, K:) and the first and second a journeying from the latter part of the night: (S:) or thus the first: (A:) and the second, (ISd, A,) or the first and second, (TA,) a journeying all the night: (ISd, A, TA: ) and the second, also, a journeying a little before daybreak: (ISd, TA:) or the first and second (TA) and third (IDrst, TA) a journeying in the night; and this seems to be the meaning intended in the tradition, عَلَيْكُمْ بِالدُّلْجَةِ فَإِنَّ الأَرْضَ تُطْوَى بِاللَّيْلِ [Keep ye to journeying in the night, for the earth is to be traversed by night]: (TA:) [and ↓ دَلِيجٌ occurs in the L in the sense of دُلْجَةٌ &c.:] the plural of the first is دُلَجٌ. (Ham p. 521.) One says also, الدُّلْجَةَ قَبْلَ البُلْجَةِ [Keep to the journeying in the night, &c., before the breaking of the dawn]. (A.) [See another example voce بُلْجَةٌ.]

Also, the same three words, and ↓ دَلْجٌ and ↓ دَلَجَةٌ, An hour, or a time, or a short portion, (سَاعَةٌ,) of the latter part of the night: (ISd, TA:) or دَلَجٌ signifies the whole of the night, from the beginning to the end. (Th, from Aboo-Suleymán ElAarábee.)