1 عَصَمَ ذ , aor. عَصِمَ , (K, TA,) inf. n. عَصْمٌ , (TA,) i. q. مَنَعَ [as meaning He, or it, prevented, or hindered: or, as is generally the case, defended, or protected ]: (K, TA:) this is [said to be] the primary signification: (TA: [but see عِصْمَةٌ ]) and he, or it, preserved, or kept; syn. وَقَى : (K, TA:) and it withheld ( أَمْسَكَ ) a thing. (TA.) One says, عَصَمَهُ الطَّعَامُ [for عَصَمَهُ مِنَ الجُوعِ ] The food prevented him, or defended him, ( مَنَعَهُ ,) from being hungry. (S, K.) And عَصَمَهُ ٱللّٰهُ , (Mgh, Msb, TA,) aor. as above, (Msb, TA,) inf. n. عِصْمَةٌ , (Mgh,) or this is a simple subst., (Msb,) and the inf. n. is عَصْمٌ , (TA,) God defended, or protected, him; (TA;) or preserved him; (Mgh, Msb, TA;) مِنَ السُّوْءِ [ from evil ], (Mgh,) or مِنَ المَكْرُوهِ [ from what was disliked, or hated ]. (Msb.) And عَصَمْتُهُ I [ defended, or protected, him; or] preserved him. (S.) -b2- And [hence,] عَصَمَ القِرْبَةَ , (K, TA,) aor. عَصِمَ , inf. n. عَصْمٌ , (TA,) He put, or made, to the water-skin, an عِصَام ; (K, TA;) as also : (ISk, S, K, TA:) or the latter signifies, (TA,) or signifies also, (K,) he bound it with the عِصَام , (K, TA,) i. e. the [ tie called ] وِكَآء [ which is bound round its head to confine the contents ]. (TA.) -A2- عَصَمَ إِلَيْهِ : see 8. -A3- عَصَمَ , aor. عَصِمَ , (S, K,) inf. n. عَصْمٌ , (S,) signifies also اِكْتَسَبَ [i. e. he gained, or earned; or he sought means of subsistence ]. (S, K.) -A4- عَصَمَ ثَنِيَّتَهُ الغُبَارُ means The dust stuck to his central incisor; like عَصَبَ [q. v.]. (TA.) -A5- عَصِمَ , aor. عَصَمَ , (K, TA,) inf. n. عَصَمٌ , (S, * TA,) said of a gazelle, and of a mountain-goat, [and app. of a horse,] He was such as is termed أَعْصَمُ . (K, TA.)

4 اعصم ذ He exerted his strength, and laid hold, or fast hold, upon a thing, or clung to it, lest his horse, or his camel, should throw him down; [or rather اعصم بِشَىْءٍ has this meaning, or he laid hold, or fast hold, upon a thing, or clung to it; ] and in like manner one says بِهِ , and به ; (S;) بِهِ is said by Er-Rághib, to signify thus; whence, in the Kur [iii. 98], بِحَبْلِ ٱللّٰهِ [expl. in art. حبل ]: (TA:) and [hence, likewise,] اعصم بِحَبْلِهِ signifies تَمَسَّكَ بِهِ [meaning He held fast by his corenant ]. (Mgh.) One says also, اعصم بِالبَعِيرِ He laid hold upon one of the cords, or ropes, of the camel, (K, TA,) lest the camel should throw him down. (TA.) And اعصم بِالفَرَسِ He laid hold upon the mane of the horse, (K, TA,) lest his horse should throw him down. (TA.) And اعصم بِفُلَانٍ He laid upon such a one: (K:) or اعصم بِصَاحِبِهِ He clung to his companion. (S.) -b2- And [hence,] He took refuge, and defended, or protected, himself, مِنَ الشَّرِّ from evil; as also , and (Ham p. 810.) -A2- Also He was not firm [ in his seat ] upon the back of the horse. (K.) -A3- اعصم فُلَانًا He prepared for such a one, (S, K,) in the camel's saddle, and in the horse's saddle, (S,) a thing upon which he might lay hold, (S, K,) lest he should fall. (S.) -b2- اعصم القِرْبَةَ : see 1, latter half.

7 انعصم ذ He became [ defended, or protected, or] preserved; quasi-pass. of عَصَمْتُهُ . (S.)

8 إِعْتَصَمَ see 4, first sentence, in three places. [Hence,] اعتصم بِٱللّٰهِ He held fast, or clung, unto God: (Jel in iii. 96:) or, to his religion: or he had recourse to God for protection, in, or in respect of, the concurrences, or combinations, of his affairs: (Bd ibid:) he confided in, or relied upon, God, (Bd and Jel in xxii. last verse,) in, or in respect of, the concurrences, or combinations, of his affairs, not seeking aid from any but Him: (Bd ibid.:) or he defended, or preserved, himself, or he refrained, or abstained, ( اِمْتَنَعَ ,) by the grace of God, (S, Msb, * K,) from disobedience. (S, K. [See also 10.]) And إِلَيْهِ signifies the same as اعتصم بِهِ . (K.) See also 4, latter half. -A2- اِعْتَصَمَتْ , said of a girl, or young woman, [from عِصَامٌ ,] She applied collyrium to her eyes. (El-Muärrij, TA.)

10 استعصم ذ : see 4, in two places. -b2- Also He defended, or preserved, himself, or he refrained, or abstained; syn. اِمْتَنَعَ . (TA. [See also 8.])