Core sense — deaf; hard and solid, said of stone; rugged groundgenerated
1figurative · مجازhe called him [with the call of the deaf, meaning] with extraordinary force—دَعَاهُ دَعْوَةَ الأَصَمِّ
Applied to any animal: deaf; having a stoppage of the ear, and a heaviness of hearing. Feminine صَمَّآءُ; plurals صُمٌّ and صُمَّانٌ.
he beat him [with the beating of the deaf, meaning] without stopping and excessively—ضَرَبَهُ ضَرْبَ الأَصَمِّ
he made a sign by waving his garment continually, as the deaf man does—لَمَعَ بِثَوْبِهِ لَمْعَ الأَصَمِّ
a serpent that will not accept charming—حَيَّةٌ أَصَمُّ
A poet says:
shāhid 1أَصَمُّ عَمَّا سَآءَهُ سَمِيعُ
— a proverb meaning: feigning himself deaf to what displeases him, that is, to what is foul, as though he did not hear it, but hearing what pleases him, that is, what is good; as the generous man does.
Similar is the saying: [And I have an ear deaf to what is foul]
shāhid 2وَلِى أُذْنٌ عَنِ الفَحْشَآءِ صَمَّا
. [See also Ham p. 636 for another like example.]
Because the deaf man, when he does this, [not hearing any cry,] imagines that he is falling short of what he should do, and so will not leave off.
Said of one warning a people from afar; as though he did not hear the reply.
As though it did not hear it; that will not obey the charmer. Also صَمَّآءُ. And the adjective صُمٌّ is likewise applied to scorpions.
a man whom one does not hope to win over, and who will not be turned back from what he wants—رَجُلٌ أَصَمُّ
[fortune that will not relent]—دَهْرٌ أَصَمُّ
As though he were called and would not hear.
As though one complained to it and it would not hear.
And الصَّمَّآءُ and دَاهِيَةٌ صَمَّآءُ: as explained under صَمَامِ.
a sedition, or the like, that is severe, or hard to bear—فِتْنَةٌ صَمَّآءُ
There is no way to allay it, because it has gone to the utmost extent. [See also أَبْكَمُ.]
an affair, or event, that is severe, or hard to bear—أَمْرٌ أَصَمُّ
And صَمَمٌ is figuratively attributed to الحِلْم. A poet quoted by Th says: [Say what occurs to you, of falsehood and of lying: my forbearance is deaf, that is, insensible, to it, though my ear is not deaf]
shāhid 3قُلْ مَا بَدَا لَكَ مِنْ زُورٍ وَمِنْ كَذِبٍحِلْمِى أَصَمُّ وَأُذْنِى غَيْرُ صَمَّآءِ
. The last word I find written thus, apparently for the sake of the rhyme.
small-eared, or dull-eared, applied to a قَطَاة—صَمَّآءُ
[A bird of the species called قَطًا.] So called because of the سَكَك [i.e. the smallness] of its ear, or because it is deaf when thirsting.
[as though meaning the deaf-mute], applied to the month رَجَب—الأَصَمُّ
The people of the Time of Ignorance called it شَهْرُ ٱللّٰهِ الأَصَمُّ, because in it the cry of the caller for aid was not heard, shouting يَا لَفُلَانٍ and يَا صَبَاحَاهْ, nor the commotion of fighting, nor the clash of arms, it being one of the sacred months.
Applied in this way it is figurative, like نَائِمٌ in the phrase لَيْلٌ نَائِمٌ, as though in it the man were deaf to the sound of arms; and in the same way it is also called مُنْصِلُ الأَلِّ. [See also الأَصَبُّ and مُحَرَّمٌ and شَهْرٌ.]
1.1figurative · مجاز — inferredhard and solid stone—حَجَرٌ أَصَمُّ
a hard and solid rock—صَخْرَةٌ صَمَّآءُ
[Since what has no cavity generally makes no sound.]
Or this last means a rock in which there is no crack or hole; plural صُمٌّ.
a compact spear-shaft—قَنَاةٌ صَمَّآءُ
1.2figurative · مجاز — inferredthe earth, or ground—الصَّمَّآءُ
rugged ground—أَرْضٌ صَمَّآءُ
Plural صُمٌّ.
1.3figurative · مجاز — inferred
Also [apparently the worm-shaped appendage of the caecum]: the thin, or slender, end of the عفجة.
[The last word in this explanation stands thus, without any vowel signs, in my manuscript copy of the K and in the TA; in the CK it is عَفِجَة, but the right reading is clearly عِفَجَة, which the TA, in the article on عفج, says is, like أَعْفَاجٌ, a plural of عَفَجٌ and its dialectal variants: see this last word.]
So called because of its hardness [in my opinion because it is like an ear-passage that is closed, and therefore deaf].
1.4figurative · مجازa fat she-camel—نَاقَةٌ صَمَّآءُ
And, or as some say, one that has just conceived, or become pregnant.
1.5figurative · مجاز — inferredcovering oneself with one's garment—اِشْتِمَالُ الصَّمَّآءِ
This is forbidden in a tradition. It is like [what is done in the case of] the شِمْلَة of the Arabs of the desert with their [garments called] أَكْسِيَة [plural of كِسَآء]: that is, turning the كِسَآء from the right side over the left arm and the part between the left shoulder-joint and the neck, and then turning it a second time, from behind, over the right arm and the part between the right shoulder-joint and the neck, so as to cover them both.
Or: wrapping oneself in the garment without leaving a place to put the hand out from.
Or, as the lawyers explain it: wrapping one's body and arms in a single garment, with no other on him, and then raising it on one of its sides and putting it on his shoulder, so that his private part shows. [In the K, as the TA says, يَضَعُهُ is wrongly put for يَرْفَعُهُ.]
With the Arabs, لِبْسَةُ الصَّمَّآءِ means covering the whole body with one's garment and not raising a side to put the hand out from.
When you say of a man اِشْتَمَلَ الصَّمَّآءَ, it is as though you said اِشْتَمَلَ الشِّمْلَةَ الصَّمَّآءَ, for الصَّمَّآء is a kind of اِشْتِمَال. [See also اِشْتَمَلَ and الشِّمْلَةُ الصَّمَّآءُ in the article on شمل.]
1.6figurative · مجاز — inferreda surd, or irrational, root, in arithmetic—جَذْرٌ أَصَمُّ
Known only to God, according to a saying of ʿÁïsheh. Opposed to جَذْرٌ نَاطِقٌ.
1.7a surd verb—فِعْلٌ أَصَمُّ
A term sometimes used in grammar for a verb of three radicals, of the class commonly called مُضَاعَفٌ, whose second and third radicals are the same letter.
Show Lane's original text
applied to any animal, (Mgh,) Deaf; (S, * M, * Mgh, Msb, K; *) [or] having a stoppage of the ear, and a heaviness of hearing; (M, K:) fem. صَمَّآءُ : (Mgh, Msb:) pl. صُمٌّ (M, Msb, K) and صُمَّانٌ . (M, K.) A poet says, 1 (TA,) a prov., (Meyd,) meaning Feigning himself deaf to that which displeases him, (Meyd, TA,) i. e. to what is foul, (Meyd,) as though he heard it not, (TA,) but hearing (Meyd, TA) that which pleases him, i. e. what is good; as does the generous man. (Meyd.) And similar is the saying, 2 [And I have an ear deaf to that which is foul]. (TA.) [See also Ham p. 636, for another similar ex.] One says likewise, دَعَاهُ دَعْوَةَ الأَصَمِّ He called him [with the call of the deaf, meaning,] with extraordinary force. (TA.) And ضَرَبَهُ ضَرْبَ الأَصَمِّ He beat him [with the beating of the deaf, meaning,] uninterruptedly and excessively; because the deaf, when he does thus, [not hearing any cry,] imagines that he is falling short of what he should do, and therefore will not leave off. (TA.) And لَمَعَ بِثَوْبِهِ لَمْعَ الأَصَمِّ He (one warning a people from afar) made a sign by waving his garment continually, as does the deaf; as though he heard not the reply. (TA.) And حَيَّةٌ أَصَمُّ (M, K, TA) and صَمَّآءُ (TA) A serpent that will not accept charming; (M, K, TA;) as though it heard it not; (M;) that will not obey the charmer: (TA:) and [in like manner] the epithet صُمٌّ is applied to scorpions. (M.) And رَجُلٌ أَصَمُّ A man whom one does not hope to win over, and who will not be turned back from the object of his desire; (M, K, TA;) as though he were called and would not hear. (M, TA.) And دَهْرٌ أَصَمُّ [Inexorable fortune;] as though one complained to it and it would not hear. (M.) And الصَّمَّآءُ and دَاهِيَةٌ صَمَّآءُ as expl. voce صَمَامِ , q. v. And فِتْنَةٌ صَمَّآءُ A sedition, or the like, that is severe, or hard to be borne; (S, Msb;) to the allaying of which there is no way; because of its having gone to the utmost extent. (TA. [See also أَبْكَمُ .]) And أَمْرٌ أَصَمُّ An affair, or event, that is severe, or hard to be borne. (TA.) And صَمَمٌ is tropically attributed to الحِلْم : (M:) a poet, cited by Th, says, 3 [the last word I find written thus, app. for the sake of the rhyme: i. e. Say what occurs to thee, of falsehood and of lying: my forbearance is deaf, i. e. insensible, to it, though my ear is not deaf]. (M, TA.) صَمَّآءُ is applied to a قَطَاة [or bird of the species termed قَطًا , and may in this case be rendered Small-eared, or dull-eared, being applied thereto] because of the سَكَك [i. e. smallness &c.] of its ear or because it is deaf when thirsting. (M.) And الأَصَمُّ [as though meaning The deafmute] is an epithet applied to رَجَب , (S, M, Msb, K,) the month thus named, (Msb,) which the people of the Time of Ignorance called شَهْرُ ٱللّٰهِ الأَصَمُّ , (Kh, S,) because the cry of the caller for aid was not heard in it, (Kh, S, M, Msb, K, *) shouting يَا لَفُلَانٍ and يَا صَبَاحَاهْ , (M, K,) nor the commotion of fight, (Kh, S, Msb,) nor the clash of arms, it being one of the sacred months: (Kh, S:) thus applied it is tropical, like نَائِمٌ in the phrase لَيْلٌ نَائِمٌ ; as though, in it, the man were deaf to the sound of arms: (TA:) and in like manner it is also called مُنْصِلُ الأَلِّ . (M. [See also الأَصَبُّ , and مُحَرَّمٌ , and شَهْرٌ .]) أَصَمُّ عَمَّا سَآءَهُ سَمِيعُ وَلِى أُذْنٌ عَنِ الفَحْشَآءِ صَمَّا قُلْ مَا بَدَا لَكَ مِنْ زُورٍ وَمِنْ كَذِبٍ | حِلْمِى أَصَمُّ وَأُذْنِى غَيْرُ صَمَّآءِ And [as that which is without a cavity is generally nonsonorous,] one says حَجَرٌ أَصَمُّ meaning Hard (S, M, Msb, K) and solid (S, Msb, K) stone: (S, &c.:) and صَخْرَةٌ صَمَّآءُ a hard and solid rock: (K, TA:) or this latter signifies a rock in which is no crack nor hole: pl. صُمٌّ . (TA.) And قَنَاةٌ صَمَّآءُ A compact spear-shaft. (M.) الصَّمَّآءُ also signifies The earth, or ground. (M:) And أَرْضٌ صَمَّآءُ Rugged ground: pl. صُمٌّ . (K.) Also [app. The vermiform appendage of the cœcum;] the thin, or slender, extremity of the عفجة : (K: [the last word in this explanation is thus, without any syll. signs, in my MS. copy of the K and in the TA: in the CK, عَفِجَة : but the right reading is evidently عِفَجَة , which is said in the TA, in art. عفج , to be, like أَعْفَاجٌ , a pl. of عَفَجٌ and its dial. vars.: see this last word:] thus called [in my opinion because resembling a meatus auditorius that is closed, and therefore deaf; though said to be so called] because of its hardness. (TA.) And نَاقَةٌ صَمَّآءُ A fat she-camel: (K, TA:) and, (K,) or as some say, (TA,) one that has just conceived, or become pregnant. (K, TA.) اِشْتِمَالُ الصَّمَّآءِ , (S, Msb, K, TA,) which is forbidden in a trad., (TA,) is The covering oneself with his garment, like [as is done in the case of] the شِمْلَة of the Arabs of the desert with their [garments called] أَكْسِيَة [pl. of كِسَآء ]; (A'Obeyd, S;) i. e. the turning the كِسَآء , from the direction of one's right, upon his left arm and the part between his left shoulderjoint and neck, and then turning it a second time, from behind him, upon his right arm and the part between his right shoulder-joint and neck, so as to cover them both: (A'Obeyd, S, K:) or the wrapping oneself with the garment without making to it a place from which to put forth the hand: (Msb:) or, (K,) as the lawyers explain it, (A'Obeyd, S,) it is the wrapping one's body and arms with one garment, not having upon him another, and then raising it [in the K, as is said in the TA, يَضَعُهُ is erroneously put for يَرْفَعُهُ ] on one of its sides, and putting it upon his shoulder, so that his pudendum appears from it: (A'Obeyd, S, K:) [but] with the Arabs, لِبْسَةُ الصَّمَّآءِ means the covering one's whole body with his garment, and not raising a side from which to put forth his hand: (Mgh:) when you say, of a man, اِشْتَمَلَ الصَّمَّآءَ , it is as though you said, اِشْتَمَلَ الشِّمْلَةَ الصَّمَّآءَ ; for الصَّمَّآء is a sort of اِشْتِمَال . (S. [See also اِشْتَمَلَ , and الشِّمْلَةُ الصَّمَّآءُ , in art. شمل .]) جَذْرٌ أَصَمُّ A surd, or an irrational, root, in arithmetic; which is known only to God, accord. to a saying of 'Áïsheh: opposed to جَذْرٌ نَاطِقٌ . (Mgh in art. جذر .) [ فِعْلٌ أَصَمُّ A surd verb is a term sometimes used in grammar, as meaning a triliteral-radical verb of the class commonly called مُضَاعَفٌ of which the second and third radicals are the same letter.]