مَفْتَحٌ

A place in which things are reposited, stowed, laid up, kept, preserved, or guarded; a repository; synonym خِزَانَةٌ and مَخْزَنٌ: [and a hoard; synonym خَزِينَةٌ:] and treasure; or buried property; synonym كَنْزٌ: (K, TA:) plural, in both senses, مَفَاتِحُ. (TA.) The plural as occurring in the Qur'an, 28:76 is said to signify treasures or buried property (كُنُوز) and hoards (خَزَايءِن [as plural of خَزِينَةٌ, not of خِزَانَةٌ]): or hoards (خَزَاويءن) of wealth, which Az says is the most probable meaning: (L, TA:) or it there means keys, as plural of ↓ مِفْتَحٌ; (Ksh, Bd;) and it is said that they were of skins, of the measure of the finger, and were borne upon sixty mules, (Ksh, L, TA,) or seventy; but this is not a valid explanation. (L, TA.)