Core sense — a spear, or lance, for thrusting, not casting; a measure in astronomygenerated
1figurative · مجاز — inferredevil, mischief, enmity, or contention arose between them—كَسَرُوا بَيْنَهُمْ رُمْحًا
A certain weapon, well known; a spear, or lance — one with which a man thrusts, not one that he casts. El-Hareeree: it is not so called unless its iron head is mounted upon it.
Plural رِمَاحٌ and أَرْمَاحٌ, the first a plural of many, the second of few.
we were tried with a long and distressing day—مُنِينَا بِيَوْمٍ كَظِلِّ الرُّمْحِ
[they are in league against the sons of such a one as one man]—هُمْ عَلَى بَنِى فُلَانٍ رُمْحٌ وَاحِدٌ
[as though his two eyes were upon two spears]—كَأَنَّ عَيْنَيْهِ فِى رُمْحَيْنِ
Literally: they broke a spear between them, or among them.
Said of one in fear and fright, looking hard, or intently; and sometimes of one in anger.
[The diminutive is رُمَيْحٌ.]
he stayed himself upon a staff because of extreme old age—أَخَذَ رُمَيْحَ أَبِى سَعْدٍ
Said of a man, or of an old man. By ابوسعد is meant Luqmān the Sage, who is mentioned in the Qur'ān; or Marthad Ibn-Saad; or it is a name given to old age and decrepitude.
1.2
[As a measure in astronomy, according to modern Arabian astronomers, it is four and a half degrees, the eightieth part of a great circle; and according to various works on practical law it consists of twelve أَشْبَار (or spans). But there is reason to believe that ancient usage differed from the modern in both these measures, and was neither precise nor uniform: in an instance mentioned under زُبَانَى it appears to be about twice the measure stated above, about nine degrees, and to consist of five cubits, a measure perhaps equal to twelve spans.]
1.3figurative · مجازit put forth its prickles, or became dry in its prickles, and so resisted grazing—أَخَذَتْ رِمَاحَهَا
Said of the species of barley-grass called بُهْمَى, and of any similar pasture.
Also said of camels: they became fat, or yielded milk plentifully, as though they prevented one's slaughtering them; or because their owner is prevented from slaughtering them; or they became so goodly in their owner's eye that he was prevented from slaughtering them. أَخَذَتْ أَسْلِحَتَهَا means the same.
a fat she-camel—نَاقَةٌ ذَاتُ رُمْحٍ
Because their owner, when he wants to slaughter them, looks at their fatness and their goodly appearance and is prevented from slaughtering them.
fat camels—إِبِلٌ ذَوَاتُ رِمَاحٍ
1.4figurative · مجازthe pestilence called الطَّاعُونُ—رِمَاحُ الجِنِّ
[See the verses that follow.]
1.5figurative · مجاز — inferredthe stings of scorpions, with which they strike—رِمَاحُ العَقْرَبِ
Said to be the same as شَوْلَاهَا, clearly a miscopying for شَوْلَاتُهَا.
العقرب is used here, as it seems to be in some other cases, as a collective generic noun; the verses below, quoted as an example of رِمَاحُ الجِنِّ, show that this is so.
A poet cited by Th says
shāhidلَعَمْرُكَ مَا خَشِيتُ عَلَى أُبَىٍّرِمَاحَ بَنِى مُقَيِّدَةِ الحِمَارِوَلٰكِنِّى خَشِيتُ عَلَى أُبَىٍّرِمَاحَ الجِنِّ أَوْ إِيَّاكَ حَارِ
[By your life, or by your religion, I did not fear the stings of the scorpions for Ubeí; but I feared for Ubeí the pestilence, or you, O Hārith; حَارِ being for حَارِثُ].
By بنى مقيّدة الحمار he means the scorpions.
1.6figurative · مجاز — inferredthe penis—رُمَيْحٌ
The diminutive, used as a proper name for it, just as شُرَيْحٌ is a proper name for the vulva of a woman.
1.7figurative · مجاز — inferreda species of jerboa, long in the hind legs—ذُو الرُّمَيْحِ
In the middle [?] of each وَظِيف [here meaning metacarpus] it has a nail in excess [of those of the hind feet; for the fore feet have each five toes, of which only one has no nail, and the hind feet have each only three toes, all of which have nails].
Or it means any jerboa; and its رمح [clearly a miscopying for رُمَيْح] is its tail.
[It is added there, ورماحه شولاتها, another miscopying and a plain error of language; or probably some words that should have come before these have been left out by the copyist.]
Show Lane's original text
A certain weapon, (L, TA,) well known; (L, Msb, K;) [i. e. a spear, or lance; one with which one thrusts, not which one casts; accord. to El-Hareeree, (cited by De Sacy in his “ Chrest. Ar, ” sec. ed., ii. 332,) not so called unless having its iron head mounted upon it:] pl. رِمَاحٌ and أَرْمَاحٌ , (S, L, Msb, K,) the former of mult. and the latter of pauc. (L.) [Hence the saying,] كَسَرُوا بَيْنَهُمْ رُمْحًا [lit. They broke a spear between them, or among them; meaning] evil, or mischief, [or enmity, or contention,] happened between them, or among them. (A, TA.) And مُنِينَا بِيَوْمٍ كَظِلِّ الرُّمْحِ We were tried with a long and distressing day. (A, TA.) And هُمْ عَلَى بَنِى فُلَانٍ رُمْحٌ وَاحِدٌ [They are in league against the sons of such a one as one man]. (A, TA.) And كَأَنَّ عَيْنَيْهِ فِى رُمْحَيْنِ [As though his two eyes were upon two spears] is said of one in fear and fright, and looking hardly, or intently; and sometimes of one in anger. (TA.) [The dim. is رُمَيْحٌ . And hence the saying,] أَخَذَ رُمَيْحَ أَبِى سَعْدٍ He (a man, K, TA, or an old man, TA) stayed himself upon a staff by reason of extreme old age, or decrepitude: by ابوسعد is meant Lukmán the Sage, (K, TA,) who is mentioned in the Kur-án: (TA:) or Marthad Ibn-Saad: or it is a surname applied to old age, and decrepitude. (K, TA.) See also رَامِحٌ . [As a measure in astronomy, accord. to modern Arabian astronomers, it is Four degrees and a half; the eightieth part of a great circle; and accord. to various works on practical law, it consists of twelve أَشْبَار (or spans): but there is reason to believe that ancient usage differed from the modern, with respect to both these measures, and was not precise nor uniform: in an instance mentioned voce زُبَانَى , it appears to be about twice the measure stated above; i. e., about nine degrees; and to consist of five cubits, a measure perhaps equal to twelve spans.] أَخَذَتْ رِمَاحَهَا , said of the [species of barley-grass called] بُهْمَى , (T, S, A, TA,) and of any similar pasture, (T, TA,) It assumed, or put forth, its prickles, (A, * TA,) or became dry in its prickles, (T, TA,) and thus (T, A, TA) resisted the attempts of animals to pasture upon it. (T, S, A, L, TA.) Also, said of camels, They became fat, (S, K, TA,) or yielded milk plentifully; (S, TA;) as though they prevented one's slaughtering them; (K;) or because their owner is prevented from slaughtering them: (S:) or they became goodly in the eye of their owner so that he was prevented from slaughtering them; (A, * TA;) and so أَخَذَتْ أَسْلِحَتَهَا . (TA.) One says also نَاقَةٌ ذَاتُ رُمْحٍ A fat she-camel; and إِبِلٌ ذَوَاتُ رِمَاحٍ fat camels; because their owner, when desiring to slaughter them, looks at their fatness and their goodly appearance, and is prevented from slaughtering them. (A, * TA.) رِمَاحُ الجِنِّ [The pestilence termed] الطَّاعُونُ . (A, K.) [See the following verses.] رِمَاحُ العَقْرَبِ i. q. شَوْلَاهَا [evidently a mistranscription for شَوْلَاتُهَا , i. e. The stings of scorpions, with which they strike; العقرب being here used, as it seems to be in some other instances, as a coll. gen. n.: that such is the case is shown by the verses here following, quoted in the TA as an ex. of رِمَاحُ الجِنِّ ]. (K.) A poet, cited by Th, says, 1 [By thy life, or by thy religion, I feared not, for Ubeí, the stings of the scorpions; but I feared, for Ubeí, the pestilence, or thee, O Harith; حَارِ being for حَارِثُ ]; by بنى مقيّدة الحمار he means the scorpions. (TA.) لَعَمْرُكَ مَا خَشِيتُ عَلَى أُبَىٍّ | رِمَاحَ بَنِى مُقَيِّدَةِ الحِمَارِ | وَلٰكِنِّى خَشِيتُ عَلَى أُبَىٍّ | رِمَاحَ الجِنِّ أَوْ إِيَّاكَ حَارِ [The dim.] رُمَيْحٌ is a proper name of The penis; (K, * TA;) like as شُرَيْحٌ is a proper name for “ the vulva of a woman. ” (TA.) ذُو الرُّمَيْحِ means A species of jerboa, (K, TA,) long in the hind legs, in the middle [?] of each وَظِيف [here meaning metacarpus] having a nail in excess [of those of the hind feet; for the fore feet have each five toes of which one only has no nail, and the hind feet have each but three toes, all of which have nails]: or it means any jerboa: and its رمح [evidently a mistranscription for رُمَيْح ] is its tail. (TA. [It is there added, ورماحه شولاتها ; another mistranscription, and an obvious solecism; or probably some words which should have preceded these have been omitted by the copyist.])