ذَكَاءُ
1.
Sharpness, or acuteness, of mind, (S, Msb, TA,) with quickness of perception, and of intelligence, understanding, sagacity, skill, or knowledge: (TA:) or completeness of intelligence, with quickness of apprehension: (Msb:) or quickness of intelligence, understanding, sagacity, skill, or knowledge: (K:) or quickness of perception, and sharpness, or acuteness, of understanding: thus applied, it is like the phrase فُلَانٌ شُعْلَةُ نَارٍ: (Er-Rághib, TA:) or quickness in drawing conclusions. (TA. [See ذِهْنٌ: and see also 1.]) [It apparently signifies also Sharpness of spirit; as a quality of a camel and the like. See ذَكِىٌّ.]
2.
Also Age: (S, K:) or full, or complete, age: so says Mbr in the “ Kámil: ” (TA:) opposite of
فَتَاءٌ: (Ham p. 217:) according to Az, its primary signification, universally, is a state of completeness: and الذَّكَاءُ فِى السِّنّ means completeness of age: according to Kh, it means the age of completeness of strength, [apparently in a horse, or any solid-hoofed animal, for he says that it is] when a year has passed after the
قُرُوح [or finishing of teething]: (TA:) or ذَكَاءُ السِّنِّ means the utmost term of youthfulness; from the primary signification of the root, which is “ a state of completeness. ” (Mgh.) Hence the saying of El-Hajjáj, فُرِرْتُ عَنْ ذَكَاءٍ [I have been examined as to age; apparently meaning (assumed tropical:) my abilities have been tested and proved]: and بَلَغَتِ الدَّابَّةُ
الذَّكَاءَ
The beast attained to [fulness of] age (S, TA.) [Hence, also,] one says, فَتَا فُلَانٍ
كَذَكَاءِ فُلَانٍ and فُلَانٍ
كَتَذْكِيَةِ [The youthfulness of such a one is like the fulness of age of such a one], i. e., the prudence, or discretion, of such a one notwithstanding his deficiency of age is like the prudence, or discretion, of such a one with his fulness of age. (Ham p. 217.)