כַ/תּוֹלָ֖ע

𐤊/𐤕𐤅𐤋𐤏

tôwlâʻ

like-crimson

A worm or maggot, specifically referring in many biblical contexts to the 'crimson worm' (coccus ilicis), from which a deep red dye was extracted; by extension, used for the color crimson or scarlet, or for cloths dyed with that color. The term primarily denotes an insect, but its usage also encompasses the vivid crimson dye obtained from it, as well as items colored by that dye.

H8438

Isaiah 1:18 · Word #14

Lexicon H8438

Lemmaתּוֹלָע
Lemma (Paleo)𐤕𐤅𐤋𐤏
Transliterationtôwlâʻ
Strong'sH8438
DefinitionA worm or maggot, specifically referring in many biblical contexts to the 'crimson worm' (coccus ilicis), from which a deep red dye was extracted; by extension, used for the color crimson or scarlet, or for cloths dyed with that color. The term primarily denotes an insect, but its usage also encompasses the vivid crimson dye obtained from it, as well as items colored by that dye.

Morphology HRd/Ncbsa All morphology codes

Part of Speech N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea
Subtype c — Common — Common noun
Gender b — Both — Both (masculine and feminine)
Number s — Singular — Singular
State a — Absolute — The noun stands independently

Common Translation

Phraselike-crimson

SIBI-P1 Translation H8438-03

crimson worm

Morphological NotesCommon noun, singular, absolute state; grammatically treated as feminine in usage though listed as both.
Rendering RationaleThe noun תּוֹלָע is a singular common noun denoting a worm or maggot, especially the crimson-producing worm (coccus ilicis). "Crimson worm" preserves the primary zoological sense while reflecting its distinctive association with scarlet dye within its semantic range.

View full lexicon entry for H8438 →

SILEX v2