سَهْمٌ

Full Definition

سَهْمٌ An arrow; i. e. one of what are called نَبْل, having the iron head [and the feathers] affixed: the سَهْم before it has its feathers and its iron head affixed to it is [generally] called قِدْحٌ: (S and K in art. قدح:) accord. to some it signifies the iron head itself; i. q. نَصْلٌ; ISh says that this is its meaning; and he says, if one pick up a نصل, you say “ What is this سَهْم with thee? ” but if one pick up a قِدْح, you do not say thus; and the نَصْل is the broad and long سَهْم, and may be nearly of the length of the space between the extremity of the thumb and that of the fore finger when they are stretched out; and the مِشْقَص is of half the size of the نَصْل: [but this meaning of سَهْمٌ seems to be very rare, and little known:] the pl. [of mult.] is سِهَامٌ and [of pauc.] أَسْهُمٌ. [Hence,] سَهْمُ الرَّامِى [The arrow of the archer], or [simply] السَّهْمُ [the arrow], a certain constellation, [namely Sagitta,] one of the northern constellations, composed of five stars, between the bill [meaning the star β] of الدَّجَاجَةُ [which is Cygnus] and النَّسْرُ الطَّائرُ [which consists of the stars α and β and γ of Aquila], in the Great Milky Way, having its head towards the east and its notch towards the west; and its length, as it appears to the eye, when it is in the middle of the sky, is about two cubits (نَحْوُ ذِرَاعَيْنِ: see ذِرَاعٌ).
2 Also The قِدْح [or featherless and headless arrow] with which one casts, or draws, lots, in the game called المَيْسِر; and the قِدْح with which one plays at a game of hazard [of any kind; i. e. an arrow for sortilege, and a gaming-arrow]; the primary meaning of the word being the missile سَهْم; or the primary meaning is the قِدْح with which one casts, or draws, lost in the game called المَيْسِر: pl. سِهَامٌ [and أَسْهُمٌ, as above]. See a verse cited voce رَقِيبٌ.
3 Then applied to The thing won by him whose arrow is successful [in the game above mentioned].
4 And then applied also to A lot, share, or portion, whatever it be; as also سُهْمَةٌ : pl. of the former سُهْمَانٌ and سِهَامٌ [both pls. of mult.] and أَسْهُمٌ [pl. of pauc.] and [quasi-pl. n.] سُهْمَةٌ , this last like أُخْوَةٌ. It is said in a trad., كَانَ لَهُ سَهْمٌ مِنَ الغَنِيمَةِ شَهِدَ أَوْ غَابَ [There was, or is, for him a share of the spoil whether he were, or be, present or absent]. And one says, فُلَانٍ مِنْ هٰذَا كَذَا The share of such a one, of this, is such a thing: and it may be from السِّهَامُ meaning the arrows (قِدَاح) that are shuffled among the persons competing in sortilege, in order that each one may appropriate to himself what comes forth for him as his share.
5 سَهْمُ السَّفِينَةِ [The mast of the ship: so called as being likened to an arrow, because the curved yard of the sail, resembling a bow, is suspended from the top]: (S, and K in art. دقل:) [in like manner] called in Pers. تِيرِ كِشْتِى.
6 سَهْمُ البَيْتِ The beam (جَائِز) of the house or chamber; [similarly] called in Pers. تِير. (S voce جَائِزٌ, q. v.)
7 سَهْمٌ also signifies The measure of six cubits [as used] in men's sales and purchases in their measurings of land.
8 And A stone which is placed upon the entrance of a chamber constructed for the purpose of capturing therein the lion, so that, when he enters it, it falls upon the the entrance and closes it. [The word in this sense is also mentioned in the K as written with ش.]

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