مَعِدَةٌ

and مِعْدَةٌ (S, L, Msb, K) and مَعْدَةٌ and مِعِدَةٌ; (TA;) the first of which is the original form; (Msb, TA;) the second and third being contractions; and the fourth, as well as the others, mentioned by Expositors of the Fs.; (TA;) The stomach of a human being; the place in which is the food before it descends into the lower intesstines, or guts; (L, K;) in a man, what the كَرِش is in every ruminating animal; (S, L;) or in animals that have cloven hoofs, and such as have feet like those of the camel: (M, L, K:) according to ISd, from مَعْدٌ, applied to a thing, signifying “ strong, and big, bulky, gross, or coarse: ” (TA:) plural مَعِدٌ (L, K) [or rather this is a coll. gen. n., of which مَعِدَةٌ is the n. un.,] and مِعَدٌ: (L, Msb, K:) the latter as though formed from مِعْدَةٌ. (L.)