עִילָה, circumstance, cause; pretext. Keth. 20ᵇ ע׳ מצאו וטהרו וכ׳ they found some (paltry) reason to declare clean a spot in the land of Israel; Naz. 65ᵇ עילא; [Rashi: עילא = עילעאrib of a human body]. Y. Keth. III, end, 28ᵃ מצאתי ע׳ לשחררו I have found an opportunity to set him free. Y. Ter. X, 47ᵇ; Y. Ab. Zar. II, 42ᵃ (in Chald. dict.) על ידי ע׳, v. זְבִינְתָּא. Gen. R. s. 20; s. 45; s. 63 ואף היא על ידי ע׳ and even this in a round-about way (indirectly); a. e.
עִילָה, crookedness, insidiousness, falsehood. Eduy. V, 7 שמא ע׳ מצאת בי (Mish. ed. עַוְלָה; Ms. M. עָוֶל) hast thou found any falsehood in me? Pesik. R. s. 28 נפלו עליהם בע׳ they turned against them with insidiousness.—V. עֲלִילָה.