Meaning of Khatam in Lexicons & Dictionaries

Introduction

Lisanul Arab

Khatama-hu, yakhtima-hu, khatman, and khitaaman: The last, on the authority of Laihani: He sealed it (taba‘a-hu), hence it becomes sealed or stamped. It is for emphasis. And, Khatim, is the one who does (the act of sealing). And al-khatm on the heart means: He does not understand anything, and nothing is comprehended by it, as it is sealed. And in the revelation (of the Quran, it is stated): Allah has set a seal upon their hearts. It is similar to His statement: Allah has sealed (taba‘a) their hearts, i.e., they do not understand, nor comprehend, anything. Abu Ishaq said: It means khatama and taba’a have the same meaning, and they mean that a cover has been laid on a thing, and (to place an) obstacle next to it such that nothing reaches it. This is similar to the statement of God Almighty: “Is it that on the hearts are their locks?” [47:25]

Tajul Aroos

And its connotation (is as follows): Kha-ta-ma (upon his heart) means that he made it such that he does not understand anything, and nothing is comprehended by it, as it is sealed (tubi‘a). And this is from the statement of God Almighty: Allah has set a seal (kha-ta-ma) upon their hearts. And it is similar to the statement: Allah has sealed (taba‘a) their hearts, as they do not understand, nor comprehend, anything. Zujjaj has said: It means that khatama and taba‘a have the same meaning in language, and they mean that a cover has been laid upon something, and (to place an) obstacle next to it such that nothing reaches it.

Aqrabul Mawarid

Khatama-hu, Khatman, and Khataaman mean: He sealed it (taba‘a-hu) or put a seal (stamp) on it and it also crosses as it is said: He sealed the book, and put (it) on the book. To seal something: To reach its end. (For) the book: He read it completely and finished it. (To seal) the book: He put the impression of his stamp on it so that it (is authenticated and) cannot be faked.

Lane’s Lexicon

خَتَمَهُ, (S, Mgh, Msb, K) aor., (Msb, K) inf. N. خَتْمٌ (S, Mgh, Msb, K) and خِتَامٌ (Lh, K, TA) with kesr, (TA) [in the CK, erroneously, خَتام] i.q. طَبَعَهُ [He sealed, stamped, imprinted, or impressed, it]: (Msb, K:) or he put the خَاتَم [or signet] upon it: (Mgh:) namely, a thing, (S, Mgh) or a writing or book and the like: and خَتَمَ عَلَیْهِ signifies the same [or he put a seal, or the impression of a signet, upon it]. (Msb) Accord. To Er-Raghib, خَتْمٌ and طَبْعٌ signify The impressing a thing with the engraving of the signet and stamp: and the former [as is indicated, but not plainly expressed, as distinguished from the latter] is tropically used, sometimes, as meaning the securing oneself from a thing, and protecting [oneself] from it; in consideration of protection by means of sealing upon writings and doors: and sometimes as meaning the producing an impression, or effect, upon a thing from another thing; in consideration of the impress produced [by the signet]: and sometimes it is used as relating to the reaching the end [of a thing]: (TA:) or the primary signification of خَتْمٌ is the act of covering over [a thing]: (Az, TA:) accord. to Zj, the proper meaning of خَتْمٌ and طَبْعٌ is the covering over a thing, and securing oneself from a thing’s entering it: some say that the former signifies the concealing a notification of a thing, [as] by putting one’s fingers over it, by way of guarding oneself thereby. (TA.)—Hence, خَتْمُ الشَّھَادَة [The sealing of the testimony]; which is thus described by El-Hulwanee: the witness, when he wrote his name upon a صَک [q.v.], caused his written name to be beneath a piece of lead, [i.e. covered it with a piece of lead,] and put upon it the impress of his signet, in order that there might be no falsification of it or substitution for it.

Mufradat Imam Raghib

Al-Khatm and al-Tab‘u are used in two ways: The first way (which is the primary [fundamental] meaning) is the infinitive form of the two words, and their meaning is the impressing of something like the impression or engraving [نقش] of a seal or a ring (that is, one thing impacts or influences another). The second meaning is the obtained impression of the stamp.

Sometimes, the derived meaning is: stopping from something. And this meaning has been given based on the fact that when books or chapters are sealed after writing, it means that their writing has ended and one has stopped writing. For example, “Allah has set a seal on their hearts” and put a seal on his hearing and his heart.  Sometimes, the derived meaning, based on the act of sealing, is to create an impact (of the seal), and sometimes, the derived meaning is to bring something to an end. It is in this sense that the phrase is stated, “I reached the end of [khatam-tu] the recitation of the Quran).
[What can be concluded from the above entry in Mufradat Imam Raghib is that the words Khatm and Tab‘ fundamentally mean seal or the act of creating an impression. All other meanings are secondary or derived meanings. Hence, the meaning of bringing something to an end is a secondary meaning].