شتو

شِتَاآءٌ ذ a word of well-known meaning [in the sense in which it is most commonly used, i. e. Winter ]; (S;) one of the quarters [ of the circle ] of the seasons; (K;) and ↓ شَاتَاةٌ signifies the same; (Sgh, K;) [and so does ↓ شَتِيَّةٌ; (see an ex. voce رِبْعِىٌّ;)] and so does ↓ مَشْتَاةٌ: (Msb, TA:) [also the half-year commencing at the autumnal equinox: ] ISk says, السَّنَةُ is with the Arabs a name for twelve months: then they divided it into two halves, and commenced the سَنَة [or year] at the commencement of the شِتَاآء because this word is masc. and the word صَيْف [meaning in this case the “ half-year commencing at the vernal equinox ”] is fem.: then they divided the شِتَاآء into two halves; the شتوى being the former; and the ربيع, the latter; [but this is a manifest mistake, probably attributable to a copyist; for, as is well known, the former half is called the رَبِيع; and the latter, the شِتَاآء or ↓ شَتْوَة;] each consisting of three months; and in like manner the صَيْف and the قَيْظ consist, each, of three months: (TA:) also one of the six seasons into which the year is divided, each whereof consists of two months; namely, the season [ commencing in November and ending in January, ] next after that called الخَرِيفُ: (S and K voce رَبِيعٌ: [see this word; and see, again, the former of the two tables mentioned above:]) accord. to Mbr, (S,) شِتَاآءٌ is pl. of ↓ شَتْوَةٌ; (S, Msb, K;) it is said to be so by IF on the authority of Kh, and by some on the authority of Fr or some other: or شِتَاآءٌ and ↓ شَتْوَةٌ signify the same, (K,) as is said in the M; (TA;) [i. e.] some say that الشِّتَاآءُ is a proper name for the quarter [&c.]: (Msb:) the pl. is أَشْتِيَةٌ, (S, Msb, K,) i. e. pl. of شِتَاآءٌ, (S, Msb,) because أَفْعِلَةٌ, as pl. of فِعَالٌ, is peculiar to a masc. [noun]; (Msb;) and شُتِىٌّ also, (K, TA,) originally أُشْتُوىٌ [a mistake for شُتُوىٌ], written in the Tekmileh شِتِىٌّ, as on the authority of Fr.: (TA:) the pl. of its syn. ↓ مَشْتَاةٌ is مَشَاتٍ. (Msb.) ― -b2- Also, i. e. شِتَاآءٌ, Hail, syn. بَرَدٌ, (K, TA, [in the CK بَرْدٌ,]) that falls from the sky. (TA.) ― -b3- And Drought, or dearth: (K, and Ham pp. 117 and 150:) this meaning being assigned to the شتاآء exclusively of the صَيْف because in it the people keep to the tents, not going forth to seek after herbage. (TA.)