Classical Arabic - English Dictionary

اومض It (lightning) flashed, gleamed, or shone, slightly, (Ṣ, A, Mṣb, Ḳ,) not extending sideways in the adjacent tracts of cloud; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) for when it does thus, it is termed خَفْوٌ; and when it extends high in the sky, without extending sideways to the right and left, it is termed عَقِيقَةٌ: (Ṣ:) it is also said of other things, beside lightning: (M:) andوَمَضَ↓, (Ṣ, M, A, Mṣb, Ḳ,) aor. يَمِضُ, (Ṣ, Mṣb, Ḳ,) inf. n. وَمِيضٌ and وَمْضٌ (Ṣ, M, A, Ḳ) and وَمَضَانٌ (Ṣ, A, Ḳ) and تَوْمَاضٌ, (M,) signifies the same; (Ṣ, M, A, Mṣb, Ḳ;) or it (lightning) flashed faintly or weakly, and then disappeared, and then flashed again; (IAạr;) and is also, sometimes, said of fire, (M, TA,) and of anything of a clear [or bright] colour: (El-ʼEyn:) or both verbs signify it (lightning) gleamed, or shone. (Ḥam, p. 785.)

Hence, أَوْمَضَتِ المَرْأَةُ ‡ The woman smiled, so as to display her teeth: the glistening of her front teeth being likened to the flashing of lightning. (A, TA.)

And ‡ The woman stole a glance, or glances; (Ṣ, M, Ḳ;) as also اومضت بِعَيْنِهَا: (A:) or this last,† the woman looked, or gazed with widely opened eyes. (L.)

And اومض لَهُ بِعَيْنِهِ † He made a sign to him with his eye: (M:) or اومض فُلَانٌ ‡ such a one made a private, or secret, sign, (Ḳ, TA,) إِلَيَّ to me. (TA.)

Also, He saw the slight flashing, or gleaming, or shining, of lightning, or of fire. (M, TA.)

وَمْضَةٌ [A slight flash of lightning, &c.] You say, شِمْتُ وَمْضَةَ بَرْقٍ كَنَبْضَةِ عِرْقٍ [I looked at a slight flash of lightning, like a single pulsation of an artery, to see whither it tended, and where it might rain]. (A, TA.)

بَرْقٌ وَمِيضٌ i. q. وَامِضٌ↓ [Lightning flashing, gleaming, or shining, slightly;, &c.: وميض in this case being app. an inf. n. used as an epithet.] (TA.)