ظ alphabetical letter ظThe seventeenth letter of the alphabet: called ظَآءٌ[and ظَا]. (TA.) It is a letter peculiar to the Arabic language; and is one of the letters termed مَجْهُورَة [or vocal, i. e. pronounced with the voice, not with the breath only]; and of the letters termed لِثَوِيَّة [or gingival], like ث and ذ. (TA.)As it does not exist in the language of the Nabathæans, they change it into ط. (IF, TA.)[It is substituted for the ت in the measure اِفْتَعَلَ and the forms inflected therefrom when immediately following ظ; as in اِظَّلَمَ, for اِظْظَلَمَ, for اِظْتَلَمَ:] and it is substituted for ذ; as in تَرَكْتُهُوَقِيذًا and وَقِيظًا; as is related on the authorities of ISk and Kr; and as in أَرْضٌ جِلْذَآءٌ and جِلْظَآءٌ, as is mentioned in the Nawádir el-Aaráb. (TA.)A2: [As a numeral, it denotes Nine hundred.]