دبابة

See also: ذبابة

Arabic

Root
د ب ب (d-b-b)

Etymology

Tool noun from دَبَّ (dabba, “to crawl, to creep”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dab.baː.ba/

Noun

دَبَّابَة • (dabbāba) f (plural دَبَّابَات (dabbābāt))

1. tank, armoured vehicle
2. (historical) A kind of medieval siege engine designed to shelter men who are digging a hole in enemy fortifications
   • a. 1234, بهاء الدين ابن شداد [Bahāʔ ad-Dīn b. Šaddād], edited by Albert Schultens, النوادر السلطانية والمحاسن اليوسفية [The Rare and Excellent History of Saladin]‎^[1], Leiden: Samuel Luchtman, published 1732, Pars 1, Cap. 37, page 75:

     ولما تكاملت عنده آلات القتال من المناجنيق والدبابات والستائر وغير ذلك نازل عليها في ثاني وعشرين وضائقها وقاتلها قتالا عظيما

     Having finished erecting the machines of war, mangonels, crawlers and blinds and more he attacked it the twenty-secondth time, tightly in a rough clash.

3. anything that creeps; an animal that creeps or crawls
   • 1865 CE, Bible (SVD), Book of Genesis, 1:24:

     وَقَالَ اللَّٰهُ: «لِتُخْرِجِ الأَرْضُ ذَوَاتِ أَنْفُسٍ حَيَّةٍ كَجِنْسِهَا: بَهَائِمَ، وَدَبَّابَاتٍ، وَوُحُوشَ أَرْضٍ كَأَجْنَاسِهَا». وَكَانَ كَذَٰلِكَ.

     waqāla llāhu: “lituḵriji l-ʔarḍu ḏawāti ʔanfusin ḥayyatin kajinsihā: bahāʔima, wadabbābātin, wawuḥūša ʔarḍin kaʔajnāsihā”. wakāna kaḏālika.

     And God said: Let the earth bring forth the living creature in its kind, cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth, according to their kinds. And it was so done.

Declension

Declension of noun دَبَّابَة (dabbāba)

Singular	singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	دَبَّابَة dabbāba	الدَّبَّابَة ad-dabbāba	دَبَّابَة dabbābat
Nominative	دَبَّابَةٌ dabbābatun	الدَّبَّابَةُ ad-dabbābatu	دَبَّابَةُ dabbābatu
Accusative	دَبَّابَةً dabbābatan	الدَّبَّابَةَ ad-dabbābata	دَبَّابَةَ dabbābata
Genitive	دَبَّابَةٍ dabbābatin	الدَّبَّابَةِ ad-dabbābati	دَبَّابَةِ dabbābati
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	دَبَّابَتَيْن dabbābatayn	الدَّبَّابَتَيْن ad-dabbābatayn	دَبَّابَتَيْ dabbābatay
Nominative	دَبَّابَتَانِ dabbābatāni	الدَّبَّابَتَانِ ad-dabbābatāni	دَبَّابَتَا dabbābatā
Accusative	دَبَّابَتَيْنِ dabbābatayni	الدَّبَّابَتَيْنِ ad-dabbābatayni	دَبَّابَتَيْ dabbābatay
Genitive	دَبَّابَتَيْنِ dabbābatayni	الدَّبَّابَتَيْنِ ad-dabbābatayni	دَبَّابَتَيْ dabbābatay
Plural	sound feminine plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	دَبَّابَات dabbābāt	الدَّبَّابَات ad-dabbābāt	دَبَّابَات dabbābāt
Nominative	دَبَّابَاتٌ dabbābātun	الدَّبَّابَاتُ ad-dabbābātu	دَبَّابَاتُ dabbābātu
Accusative	دَبَّابَاتٍ dabbābātin	الدَّبَّابَاتِ ad-dabbābāti	دَبَّابَاتِ dabbābāti
Genitive	دَبَّابَاتٍ dabbābātin	الدَّبَّابَاتِ ad-dabbābāti	دَبَّابَاتِ dabbābāti