الغَاسِقُ
1.
signifies The night; (Zj, TA;) and [hence] وَمِنْ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ (in the Qur'an, 113:3, S, O) means [And from the mischief] of the night when it cometh in; (S, O, K;) according to El-Hasan (S, O) El-Basree: (O:) or the beginning of the night; as El-Hasan is related to have said: (TA:) or the night when the
شَفَق [or redness in the horizon after sunset] disappears: (S, O, K:) and the night is said to be so called because it is colder than the day: (O, TA:) [for] الغَاسِقُ signifies [also] the cold (البَارِدُ) [like الغَسَاقُ] (TA:) or what is meant in the verse of the Qur'an cited above is the accident in the night: (Er-Rághib, TA:) or الغَاسِقُ signifies the moon; (K;) and this is said to be meant in the verse of the Qur'an; (S, TA;) so the Prophet is related to have said to Áïsheh; i. e. the verse means, [the mischief of] the moon when it is eclipsed: (Th, O, * TA:) or what is meant in that verse is, الثُّرَيَّا [i. e. the asterism called the Pleiades] when it sets [aurorally (see ثُرَيَّا)], because diseases and pestilences are frequent at that period. (O, K, TA,) and become removed at that period of its [auroral] rising [in the opposite season of the year], (O, TA,) as is related in a tradition (TA:) or the sun when it sets: or the day when it enters upon the night. or the serpent called
الأَسْوَد
when it smites, or turns over: or, according to Sub. Iblees when he suggests evil: (TA:) or, according to I'Ab and several others, from the mischief of the
ذَكَر
when it becomes erect; (K, TA:) a strange explanation: and
الغَسَّاقُ is like الغَاسِقُ; [but in what sense or senses is not said;] each is an epithet in which the quality of a subst. is predominant. (TA.)
2.
غَاسِقٌ also signifies Flowing; applied by a poet in this sense to a source, or spring; and having to relation to darkness. (Sh. TA.)