شهب

أَشْهَبُ ذ Of the colour termed شُهْبَةٌ; (S, Msb, K;) as also ↓ شَاهِبٌ, (K,) occurring in the poetry of Hudheyl: (TA:) fem. of the former شَهْبَاآءُ: (S, Msb, K: *) and pl. شُهْبٌ: (O:) the former epithet is applied to a horse, (S,) [contr. to an assertion of IAar, (see 4,)] and to a he-mule, (Msb,) and شَهْبَاآءُ to a she-mule. (Mgh, Msb.) [Golius, on the authority of Meyd, explains أَشْهَبُ أَدْهَمُ, applied to a horse, as meaning Subniger, spadiceus: and أَشْهَبُ أَخْضَرُ as meaning lucide leviterve viridis: the correct meaning of the former seems to be of a blackish, or brownish, gray: and that of the latter, of a dark dustcoloured gray: see أَدْهَمُ and أَخْضَرُ.] الشَّهْبَاآءُ was the name of a mare belonging to El-Kattál ElBejelee. (O, K; in the CK El-Bejlee.) Applied to a she-goat, شَهْبَاآءُ signifies Of a white colour intermixed with black: thus applied, it is like مَلْحَاآءُ applied to a ewe. (K.) Applied to a غُرَّة [or blaze on a horse's forehead], it means In which are hairs differing from the whiteness [ of the blaze ]. (S.) And الأَشَاهِبُ is [a pl. formed from الأَشْهَبُ as though this were a subst.] applied to the Benu-l-Mundhir, (K,) or one of the troops of En-Noamán Ibn-El-Mundhir, consisting of the sons of his paternal uncle and his maternal uncles, and their brethren; (TA;) so called because of their comeliness, (K,) or because of the whiteness of their faces. (TA.) ― -b2- Applied to ambergris, (K, TA,) (assumed tropical:) Of an excellent colour, i. e., (TA,) inclining to whiteness. (K, TA.) And applied to an iron head or blade of an arrow or of a spear &c., (tropical:) That has been filed so that its blackness has gone: (S, A, TA:) or that has been filed lightly, so that all its blackness has not gone. (AHn, TA.) [Hence,] كَتِيبَةٌ شَهْبَاآءُ (assumed tropical:) A great troop having numerous weapons; (K;) so called because of the iron; (S;) or because of the whiteness of the weapons and iron, intermixed with blackness: or a troop of which the iron [ of the weapons and armour ] is white and bright: (TA:) or, as also ↓ كَتِيبَةٌ شَهَّابَةٌ, a troop upon which is [ seen ] the whiteness of the iron [ weapons &c. ]. (T, TA. [See also كَتِيبَةٌ مَلْحَاآءُ, voce أَمْلَحُ.]) And جَيْشٌ أَشْهَبُ A strong army [app. because of its numerous weapons]. (TA.) ― -b3- أَرْضٌ شَهْبَاآءُ (assumed tropical:) A land in which is no verdure, by reason of the paucity of rain. (TA.) And [hence,] سَنَةٌ شَهْبَاآءُ (tropical:) A year of drought, or sterility, white in consequence thereof, (TA,) in which is no verdure, or in which is no rain: (K, TA:) next in degree is the بَيْضَاآء; then, the حَمْرَاآء, which is more severe than the بَيْضَاآء; (TA;) and then, the سَوْدَاآء: (TA in art. حمر:) or a year that is white by reason of the abundance of snow and the want of herbage: (IB, TA:) or a year of drought, or sterility; because the seedproduce dries up therein, and becomes yellow: and عَامٌ أَشْهَبُ signifies the same. (Har p. 150.) And أَشْهَبَانِ (assumed tropical:) Two white years (عَامَانِ أَبْيَضَانِ) between which is no verdure (K, TA) of herbage. (TA.) And يَوْمٌ أَشْهَبُ (tropical:) A cold day: (A, K:) or a day of cold wind; thought to be so called on account of the snow and hoar frost and hail therein: (L, TA:) or a day of hoar-frost: (Az, TA:) a day of cold wind and hoar frost; and [in like manner] the night (اللَّيْلَةُ) is termed شَهْبَاآءُ. (S.) In the following verse, cited by Sb, فِدًى لِبَنِى ذُهْلِ بْنِ شَيْبَانَ نَاقَتِى اـِذَا كَانَ يَوْمٌ ذُو كَوَاكِبَ أَشْهَبُ [ May my she-camel be a ransom for the sons of Dhuhl Ibn-Sheybán when there is a day of difficulties, or distresses, . . .] the meaning may be اشهب [or whitish ] by reason of the whiteness of the weapons, or by reason of the dust. (TA.) And الشُّهْبُ [pl. of أَشْهَبُ], (O,) or ↓ الشُّهُبُ [pl. of شِهَابٌ], (K,) [but the former, I think, is evidently the right,] (assumed tropical:) The white nights; (اللَّيَالِى البِيضُ;) [i. e. the thirteenth and fourteenth and fifteenth nights of the lunar month; so called because lighted by the moon throughout, (see art. بيض;)] (O;) three nights of the month; (K, TA;) because of the alteration of their colour. (TA.) ― -b4- أَشْهَبُ [or أَمْرٌ أَشْهَبُ] also signifies (assumed tropical:) A hard, or difficult, affair or case, (K, TA,) such as is disliked, or hated. (TA.) And أَشْهَبُ بَازِلٌ (assumed tropical:) A hard, or difficult, affair or case, that is beyond one's power [ of accomplishment or endurance ]: termed بازل because the camel thus termed is one that has attained its utmost strength. (O, TA. [See also art. بزل.]) ― -b5- And الأَشْهَبُ signifies The lion. (O, K.) [And in the Deewán of Jereer, it is applied to The swine. (Freytag.)]