ظِمْءٌ

a subst. from ظَمِيءَ (S, M, K) in both of its senses; (M, K;) [i. e.] it signifies Thirst: (MA:) [or most vehement thirst: or the slightest degree of thirst:] plural أَظْمَاءٌ. (MA.)

[And (tropical:) Desire, or a longing, (or, as we often say, a thirsting,) to meet with a person. See 1.]

And (S, M, K) The time, or interval, or period, between two drinkings, or waterings, (T, S, M, K,) in the coming of camels to water: (T:) and the keeping of camels from the water [during that interval, i. e.] until the extreme limit of the coming thereto: (S:) plural أَظْمَاءٌ. (T, S, M.) The shortest ظِمْءٌ of camels is that termed غِبٌّ, i. e., when they come to the water one day and return, and are in the place of pasture a day, and come to the water [again] on the third day; the interval between their two drinkings being termed a ظِمْء: this is during the greatest heat: but when Suheyl [i. e. Canopus] rises [aurorally, which it did in Central Arabia, about the commencement of the era of the Flight, on the 4th of August, O. S.], they increase the ظِمْء, so that the camels remain in the place of pasture two days, and come to the water on the fourth; and one says, وَرَدَتْ رِبْعًا: then follow the خِمْس and the سِدْس to the عِشْر: and the interval between their two drinkings is termed ظِمْءٌ, whether long or short. (T.) One says, مَا بَقِىَ مِنْ عُمُرِهِ إِلَّا ظِمْءُ الحِمَارِ, (T, S, * K, * TA,) meaning There remained not of his life save a little; [lit., save the period between the two drinkings of the ass;] (S, K, * TA;) because there is no beast that bears thirst for a shorter time than the ass; (T, S, * K, * TA;) for he comes to the water in summer every day twice. (T, TA.)

الظِّمْءُ also signifies (assumed tropical:) The period from birth to death; (K;) or so ظِمْءُ الحَيَاةِ. (S, M, TA.)

ظِمْوٌ is a dialect var. of ظِمْءٌ. (T and M in article ظمو.)