Classical Arabic - English Dictionary

جَرْدَبَ [from جَرْدَبَانُ] He put his hand upon the food (Ḳ, TA) that was before him on the table, (TA,) in order that no other person might take it: (Ḳ, TA:) or he ate with his right hand, and prevented [others from eating] with his left hand: (IAạr, Ḳ:) also, (Ḳ,) or جردب عَلَى الطَّعَامِ, (TA,) he ate greedily, gluttonously, or voraciously: (Ḳ, TA:) or جردب فِى الطَّعَامِ he put his left hand upon food that was before him on the table, in order that no other person might take it; as also جَرْدَمَ: (Yaạḳoob, Ṣ:) or جردب مَا فِى الإِنَآءِ he ate, and made an end of, devoured, or consumed, what was in the vessel; as also جردم [q. v.]. (Sh, TA.)

جَرْدَبَانٌ, an arabicized word, (Ṣ, Ḳ,) from the Persian, (Ṣ,) originally گِرْدَهْ بَانْ “guardian of the cake of bread,” (Ṣ, Ḳ,) and جُرْدُبَانٌ andجَرْدَبِىٌّ↓ andمُجَرْدِبٌ↓, (Ḳ,) One who puts his hand, (Ḳ,) or who puts his left hand, (Ṣ,) upon food, (Ḳ,) or upon a thing that is before him on the table, (Ṣ,) in order that no other person may take it: (Ṣ, Ḳ:) or who eats with his right hand, and prevents [others from eating] with his left hand: and one who eats greedily, gluttonously, or voraciously: or the first and↓ third signify, (Ḳ, TA,) or signify also, ‡ a spunger; (Ḳ, TA;) because of his greediness, gluttony, or voraciousness, and his boldness. (TA.) A poet says, (namely, El-Ghanawee, TA voce جَرْدَبِيلٌ,)

* إِذَا مَا كُنْتَ فِى قَوْمٍ شَهَاوَى *

* فَلَا تَجْعَلْ شِمَالَكَ جَرْدَبَانَا *

[When thou art among a greedy company of men, put not thy left hand upon the food as a جردبان]: (Fr, Ṣ:) or the last word is جَرْدَبِيلَا, meaning, (accord. to Sh, as also جَرْدَبَان, TA voce جردبيل,) one that takes a fragment [of food] with his left hand, and eats with his right hand, and, when what the party have is consumed, eats what is in his left hand. (TA.)