قَاعِدَةٌ

A foundation, or basis, of a house: (Msb:) plural قَوَاعِدُ: (S, Msb:) which signifies, according to Zj, the columns, or poles, (أَسَاطِين) of a structure, which support it. (L.) [Hence,] قَاعِدَتَا البَابِ [The two side-posts of the door]. (K, in article سوم.)

بَنَى أَمْرَهُ عَلَى قَاعِدَةٍ, and على قَوَاعِدَ, (tropical:) [He built his affair upon a firm foundation, and, upon firm foundations]. And قَاعِدَةُ أَمْرِكَ وَاهِيَةٌ (tropical:) [The foundation of thine affair is unsound]. (A.)

قَوَاعِدُ السَّحَابِ (tropical:) The lower parts of clouds extending across the view in the horizon, likened to the foundations of a building: (A'Obeyd, L:) or clouds extending across the view, and lying low. (IAth, L.)

[Hence] قَوَاعِدُ الهَوْدَجِ The four pieces of wood, (S, K,) placed transversely, [two across the other two, so as to form a square frame,] beneath the هودج (S, K,) which is fixed upon them. (K.) [See 1 in article فشل.]

As a conventional term, i. q. ضَابِطٌ, i. e. (assumed tropical:) A universal, or general, rule, or canon. (Msb.) [See ضَابِط.]