The triliteral root ʿayn bā thā (ع ب ث) occurs twice in the Quran, in two derived forms:
- once as the form I verb taʿbathu (تَعْبَثُ)
- once as the noun ʿabath (عَبَث)
The translations below are brief glosses intended as a guide to meaning. An Arabic word may have a range of meanings depending on context. Click on a word for more linguistic information, or to suggestion a correction.
Verb (form I) - to be amused
| (26:128:5) taʿbathūna | amusing yourselves | أَتَبْنُونَ بِكُلِّ رِيعٍ آيَةً تَعْبَثُونَ |
Noun
| (23:115:4) ʿabathan | uselessly | أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ |
See Also
- Lane's Lexicon
- Classical Arabic dictionary
