أَشُدٌّ
, (S, A, Mgh, L, K, &c.,) also pronounced أُشُدٌّ, (Seer, K,) but the latter form is rare, (TA,) is both masculine and feminine, (Zj, TA,) and as used in the Qur'an it has somewhat different meanings: (Az, TA:) in the phrase حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ, (S, K,) and other phrases in the Qur'an, (TA,) أَشُدّ is explained as meaning The state of strength; (S, Mgh, L, K;) which is from eighteen to thirty years: (S, L, K:) or from about seventeen to forty: (Zj:) or from thirty to forty: (Zj in another place:) or puberty: (Az, Mgh, L:) or firmness, or soundness, of judgment, produced by experience: (L:) or puberty together with such maturity as gives evidence of rectitude of conduct or course of life; (Zj, Az, Mgh, L;) which may be at, or before, the age of eighteen years; according to most of the men of science, and among them Esh-Sháfi'ee; (Zj, Az, L;) and the extreme term of which is three and thirty years: (Mgh:) or the age of forty years; as in the Qur'an, 46:14: (L:) أَشُدٌّ [originally أَشْدُدٌ] is a singular having a plural form, like انُكٌ; and these two words are [said to be] the only instances of the kind: (S, K: [but see انُكٌ:]) or a plural having no proper singular, (S, Mgh, K,) like اسَالٌ and أَبَابِيلُ and عَبَادِيدُ and مَذَاكِيرُ: (S:) or its singular is
شِدَّةٌ, (AHeyth, S, Mgh, K,) according to Sb; and this is good with respect to the meaning, because one says, بَلَغَ الغُلَامُ شِدَّتَهُ; (S;) but فِعْلَةٌ does not form a plural of the measure أَفْعُلٌ; (S, K;) for as to أَنْعُمٌ, (S,) which is said by AHeyth to be plural of نِعْمَةٌ, (TA,) [and respecting which Mtr says that] أَشُدٌّ is said to be plural of شِدَّةٌ like as أَنْعُمٌ is of نِعْمَةٌ, formed by regarding the ة as elided, (Mgh, [and AHeyth says the like,]) it is only plural of نُعْمٌ in the phrase يَوْمُ نُعْمٍ: (S:) or its singular is شَدٌّ, like as كَلْبٌ is of أَكْلُبٌ; or شِدٌّ, like as ذِيءْبٌ is of أَذْوءُبٌ; (S, K;) according to some; (S;) but neither شَدٌّ nor شِدٌّ has been heard from the Arabs [as singular of أَشُدٌّ]; and they are only deduced from analogy: (S, K:) or it is plural of أَشَدُّ; and the أ is not regarded in the formation of this plural (IJ, from A 'Obeyd.)