قحبة

Arabic

From the root ق ح ب (q-ḥ-b) related to coughing. Said to be from the practice of coughing as a signal to potential customers in pre-Islamic Arabia.

Regional pronunciation:
Sense 2:

قَحْبَة • (qaḥba) f (plural قِحَاب (qiḥāb))

cougher, a woman who coughs a lot, especially an old one
(vulgar) whore, harlot (a prostitute or any woman suspect of promiscuity or indecent behaviour)
Synonyms: عاهِرة (ʕāhira), فاجِرة (fājira)

Declension of noun قَحْبَة (qaḥba)

Singular	singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
Singular	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	قَحْبَة qaḥba	الْقَحْبَة al-qaḥba	قَحْبَة qaḥbat
Nominative	قَحْبَةٌ qaḥbatun	الْقَحْبَةُ al-qaḥbatu	قَحْبَةُ qaḥbatu
Accusative	قَحْبَةً qaḥbatan	الْقَحْبَةَ al-qaḥbata	قَحْبَةَ qaḥbata
Genitive	قَحْبَةٍ qaḥbatin	الْقَحْبَةِ al-qaḥbati	قَحْبَةِ qaḥbati
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	قَحْبَتَيْن qaḥbatayn	الْقَحْبَتَيْن al-qaḥbatayn	قَحْبَتَيْ qaḥbatay
Nominative	قَحْبَتَانِ qaḥbatāni	الْقَحْبَتَانِ al-qaḥbatāni	قَحْبَتَا qaḥbatā
Accusative	قَحْبَتَيْنِ qaḥbatayni	الْقَحْبَتَيْنِ al-qaḥbatayni	قَحْبَتَيْ qaḥbatay
Genitive	قَحْبَتَيْنِ qaḥbatayni	الْقَحْبَتَيْنِ al-qaḥbatayni	قَحْبَتَيْ qaḥbatay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote
Plural	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	قِحَاب qiḥāb	الْقِحَاب al-qiḥāb	قِحَاب qiḥāb
Nominative	قِحَابٌ qiḥābun	الْقِحَابُ al-qiḥābu	قِحَابُ qiḥābu
Accusative	قِحَابًا qiḥāban	الْقِحَابَ al-qiḥāba	قِحَابَ qiḥāba
Genitive	قِحَابٍ qiḥābin	الْقِحَابِ al-qiḥābi	قِحَابِ qiḥābi

Root
ق ح ب
1 term

قحبة • (gaḥba) f (plural قحبات (gaḥbāt) or قحاب (guḥḥāb))

(vulgar) whore, harlot (a prostitute or any woman suspect of promiscuity or indecent behaviour)

قحبة • (qaḥba) f (plural قحبات (qaḥbāt) or قحاب (qḥāb))

(vulgar) whore, harlot (a prostitute or any woman suspect of promiscuity or indecent behaviour)