سَمَاسِمُ

A species of bird, (M, K,) resembling the swallow; [but see what follows;] thus explained by Th, who has not mentioned any singular thereof; (M;) and Lh adds that its eggs are unattainable: (TA:) so in the prov., كَلَّفْتَنِى بَيْضَ السَّمَاسِمِ [Thou hast imposed upon me the task of procuring the eggs of the سَمَاسِم]; (M;) applied in the case of a man's being asked for that which he will not find, and which will not be: (TA:) or السَّمَاسِم is here plural of ↓ السمسمة [i. e. السُّمْسُمَةُ or السِّمْسِمَةُ], and means the red ants: thus some relate the prov.: but others say, ↓ السَّمَايءِمِ, plural of سَمَامَةٌ, [n. un. of سَمَامٌ,] which means a species of bird like the swallow, the eggs of which are unattainable. (Meyd. [By Freytag, سَمَايءِمُ is erroneously said, as on the authority of Meyd, to be plural of سَامَّةٌ in this sense.]) In [some of] the copies of the K, السُّمَاسِمُ is here erroneously put for السَّمَاسِمُ. (TA.)