גַּב m. (b. h.; גבב) convex, arched, whence 1) the exterior or upper part of a thing, a) body, esp. back (of an animal’s body, usu. אָחוֹר). Gen. R. s. 8, beg. he split the double-faced body (v. פרצוף) ועשאו גַּבַּיִים ג׳ לכאן וכ׳ and gave it two backs, one back on this side &c.—גַּב יָד, גַּב רֶגֶל a swelling on the hand, on the foot. Ab. Zar. 28ᵃ; Sabb. 109ᵃ.—b) eye-brow (b. h.), the elevation around genitals &c. Nidd. 52ᵇ א׳ בגַבָּהּ one hair on the lower surrounding of her genitals, opp. בכריסה, v. כֶּרֶס; B. Bath. 56ᵇ; Snh. 30ᵇ; B. Kam. 70ᵇ, [Rashi: on her finger joints].—c) (also גַּבָּה) גַּבַּת הַזָּקֵן, pl. גַּבּוֹת, chin. Nidd. 23ᵇ; Y. ib. III, 50ᶜ bot. גומות הזקן (dimples).—*d) a low fence. Tosef. B. Mets. XI, 22 (ed. Zuck. גַּג).—Du. גַּבַּיִים, גַּבַּיִין. Kel. XXV, 5 outsides of vessels (usu. אֲחוֹרַיִים). Gen. R. s. 8, v. supra.—Pl. גַּבִּים, גַּבִּין, גַּבּוֹת. Bekh. VII, 2 שני ג׳ וכ׳ double back and double spine (explain. גִּבֵּן, Lev. XXI, 20); Nidd. 24ᵃ sq.; Ḥull. 60ᵇ.—Nidd. 23ᵇ ג׳ הזקן, v. supra.—עַל גַּב, עַל גַּבֵּי (abbr. ע"ג) on, upon, by the side of (cmp. עַל in b. h.). Ḥull. 3ᵃ, a. fr. עומד על גַּבָּיו standing by him, superintending. Nidd. 66ᵃ על גב הנהר by the river-side; Makhsh. I, 4 (v. גֵּיף). Succ. IV, 4 על גב איצטבא (Talm. ed. 42ᵇ גבי), v. אִיסְטְבָא.—Trnsf. on the basis, on the principle. אף על גב, v. אַף I.—Y. Ḥag. II, 78ᵇ bot. חולין שנעשו על גב הקדש (usu. על טהרת הקדש) layman’s food prepared on the principles of sacred food (as though it were sacred food). Bets. II, 3 (17ᵇ); Tosef. ib. II, 7 מטבילין מגב לגב you may (on a Holy Day) immerse vessels for the purpose of changing their use (literally: from principle to principle, from one על גב to another); expl. ibid. רצה לעשות גיתו ע"ג בדו ובדו ע"ג עיסתו הרי זה וכ׳ if one desires to work his wine press on the basis of his olive press, i.e. with vessels originally immersed for the use of the olive press, or his olive press on the basis of his dough, i.e. with vessels originally immersed to be used for kneading, he may immerse his vessels on the same day; Bets. 19ᵃ ע"ג בדו ובדו ע"ג גיתו עושה … Ms. M. a. Ar. (ed. incorr. כדו) if one wishes to change &c., he might have done so (even without another immersion and, therefore, may re-immerse his vessels on the Holy Day because he does not thereby create a new status).—Cmp. אַגַּב.—Tosef. Sabb. XII (XIII), 1; Y. ib. XIII, 14ᵃ top ע"ג הגס וכ׳ around, or adding to the border of a web &c.; Bab. ib. 105ᵃ על הגס. Hor. III, 3 אין על גַּבָּיו אלא וכ׳ none over him save the Lord his God.—בְּגַב in the back, behind. Y. Keth. XII, 35ᵇ top דברים בגב (Bab. ib. 111ᵃ בגו) there is something behind, i.e. there is a reason for it.—Cmp. כַּף.