شَيْبٌ

The hair (K, TA) itself: sometimes it is thus called: (TA:) [but apparently only when white, or hoary; in which sense it is often used; as in the TA in arts. خضب and صبغ &c.:] or (K, TA, in the CK “ and ”) whiteness of the hair, or hoariness; (A, K, TA;) as also ↓ مَشِيبٌ: (K, TA:) both signify the same [and are thus used as simple substs. and are also inf. ns.]: (S:) or the former has the latter of the two significations given above; (As, S, Mgh, Msb;) and is little and much [whiteness of the hair]: one says, عَلَاهُ الشَّيْبُ [Whiteness of the hair, or hoariness, came upon him]: (TA:) but ↓ مَشِيبٌ signifies a man's entering upon the period of whiteness of the hair, or hoariness: (As, S, Msb:) see an example of this latter in the first paragraph. In the phrase in the Qur'an, 19:3, وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا, (S,) meaning And whiteness of the hair of the head hath spread therein like as the radiance of fire spreads in firewood, (Jel,) [or the head has become glistening with whiteness of the hair, or hoariness,] شيبا is in the accusative case as a specificative: or, according to Akh, as a verbal noun, as though it were said وَشَابَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا. (S, TA. *)