سَرَابٌ
1.
[The mirage;] i. q.
الٌ: (As, M, TA:) or the semblance of water, (S, M, A, K,) of running water, (M,) at midday, (S, M, A, K,) cleaving to the ground, (M,) and [in appearance] lowering everything so that it becomes [as though it were] cleaving to the ground, having no
شَخْص; (TA;) whereas the ال is that which is in the ضُحَى [or early part of the day when the sun is yet low], raising figures seen from a distance, and making them to quiver: (M:) [several other distinctions between the سراب and the ال, mentioned here in the TA, see voce الٌ:] سَرَابٌ has no plural (S and K voce نَهَارٌ.) One says أَخْدَعُ
مِنْ سَرَابٍ [More deceitful than a middaymirage]. (A.)
2.
سَرَابِ, like قَطَامِ, (A, K, TA,) i. e. indecl., with kesr for its termination, as also سَرَابُ, imperfectly decl., (TA,) determinate, (K, TA,) as a proper name, not having the article ال prefixed to it, (TA,) is the name of The she-camel of El-Basoos (البَسُوس), (K,) or the she-camel El-Basoos, (A, TA,) for El-Basoos was her surname: (TA:) whence the saying أَشْأَمُ مِنْ
سَرَابِ [More inauspicious than Sarábi]: (A, K, TA:) a celebrated prov.: for she was the cause of a famous war. (TA.)