سَابِقٌ

[act. particle n. of 1, Preceding, &c.: and sometimes it means one of the first or foremost: as is shown by what here follows]: sometimes what is thus termed has one coming up with it; as [sometimes happens] in the case of the سابق of horses: and sometimes it is like him who obtains the winning-cane (قَصَبَة السَّبْق [see article قصب]); for he outstrips to it and has none to share with him in it, there being none coming up with him. (Msb.) It is applied to a horse That outstrips; as also ↓ سَبُوقٌ: (T, Msb, TA: *) and the plural [masculine, i. e. plural of the former,] applied to horses is سُبَّقٌ and [feminine, i. e. plural of سَابِقَةٌ,] سَوَابِقُ: (TA:) [or] سَوَابِقُ may be plural of سَابِقٌ regarded as a subst. like كَاهِلٌ and غَارِبٌ of which the pls. are كَوَاهِلُ and غَوَارِبُ. (Ham p. 46.)

By the سَابِقَات mentioned in the Qur'an, 79:4 are meant The angels that precede the devils with the revelation [that they convey] to the prophets: (TA:) or the angels that precede the jinn, or genii, in listening to the revelation: (T, K, TA:) or the angels that precede with the souls of the believers to Paradise (Bd, Jel) and with the souls of the unbelievers to Hell: (Bd:) or the horses [that precede in battle]: (Zj, TA:) or the souls of the believers, that go forth with ease: or the stars [that precede other stars]. (TA. [See more in the Expositions of Bd and others.])

[The plural] سُبَّقٌ, applied to palm-trees, means (assumed tropical:) That produce their fruit early. (TA.)