سرو

1 سَرُوَ, (S, M, Mgh, K,) aor. ـْ (S, K;) and سَرَا, (S, M, K,) aor. as above; (S, K;) and سَرِىَ, (S, M, K,) aor. ـْ (S, K;) inf. n. سَرَاوَةٌ, (S, M, K,) of the first verb, (S, M,) and سَرْوٌ, (Sb, Lh, S, M, Mgh, K,) of the same verb, (M, Mgh,) and of the second, (S, M,) and of the third, (S,) and سَرًا and سَرَآءٌ, (M, K,) both of the third, but سَرَآءٌ, and this only, is mentioned by Lh as inf. n. of the second verb; (M;) He was, or became, possessed of liberality, bountifulness, munificence, or generosity, combined with manliness, or manly virtue: (S, Mgh:) or manliness, or manly virtue, (M, K,) and (M,) or combined with, (K,) high or elevated rank or condition, nobility, dignity, honour, or glory. (M, K.) A2: سَرْوُ المَسَاقِى means The cleaning out of what are termed مَسَاقٍ [pl. of مَسْقَاةٌ or مِسْقَاةٌ, which see in art. سقى]. (TA.) A3: سَرْوٌ also signifies, like تَسْرِيَةٌ [inf. n. of ↓ سرّى], and إِسْرَآءٌ [inf. n. of ↓ اسرى], The throwing off a thing from oneself [or from another]; (K, TA;) and the pulling off a thing. (TA.) You say, سَرَوْتُ الثَّوْبَ عَنِّى, (ISk, S,) or عَنْهُ, aor. ـْ (Mgh,) inf. n. سَرْوٌ, I threw off the garment from me, (ISk, S,) or I removed the garment from over him; (Mgh;) and سَرَيْتُ is a dial. var. thereof; (S;) or سَرَا ثَوْبَهُ عَنْهُ, inf. n. سَرْوٌ; and ↓ سرّاهُ; he pulled off his garment from him: (M:) and سَرَوْتُ الجُلَّ عَنِ الفَرَسِ, (TA,) or عَنْ ظَهْرِ الفَرَسِ, (M,) and ↓ سَرَّيْتُهُ, and ↓ أَسْرَيْتُهُ, I threw off [the horse-cloth from the horse, or from the back of the horse]. (TA.) And سَرَوْتُ عَنِّى دِرْعِى [I threw off from me my coat of mail]: in this case the verb is only with و. (S.) [Hence,] عَنْهُ ↓ سُرِّىَ, (M,) or سُرِّىَ عَنْهُ الهَمُّ, (S, K, *) inf. n. تَسْرِيَةٌ, (TA,) (tropical:) Anxiety became removed from him; as also عَنْهُ ↓ انسرى الهَمُّ: (S, K, * TA:) or his anxiety became removed, or cleared away. (M, in explanation of the first of these phrases.) And عَنْهُ الخَوْفُ ↓ سُرِّىَ (assumed tropical:) Fear was made to quit him: the teshdeed denotes intensiveness. (TA.) And hence the phrase in a trad., عَنْهُ بُرَحَآءُ الوَحْىِ ↓ فَلَمَّا سُرِّىَ (assumed tropical:) [and when the vehement distress of mind arising from the oppression caused by inspiration was made to quit him]; referring to the Prophet. (Mgh.) A4: سَرَتْ, (K,) inf. n. سَرْوٌ, (TA,) said of the female locust, She laid eggs: (K:) a dial. var. of سَرَأَتْ. (TA.) 2 اليَوْمَ تَسَرَّوْنَ, said by the Prophet on the occasion of the expedition of Ohod, means Today ye shall have your سَرِىّ [or that person, among you, who is distinguished by liberality and manliness, &c.,] slain: and [accordingly] Hamzeh was then slain. (TA.) A2: See also 1, in six places.3 ساراهُ, inf. n. مُسَارَاةٌ, i. q. فَاخَرَهُ [i. e. He vied with him, or contended with him for superiority, in glory, or rather in liberality and manliness, &c.: see 1, first sentence]. (TA.) 4 اسرى He became in, or upon, land, or ground, such as is termed سَرَاة: belonging to the present art., accord. to Er-Rághib: (TA:) or he betook himself to the سَرَاة [app. meaning the mountainous tract so called]: (K and TA in art. سرى:) it is like أَنْجَدَ and أَتْهَمَ. (TA in that art.) A2: See also 1, in two places.5 تسرّى signifies تَكَلَّفَ السَّرْوَ, (S, K, * TA,) i. e. [He affected, or constrained himself, to possess liberality and manliness, &c., (see 1, first sentence,) or] high or elevated rank or condition, nobility, dignity, honour, or glory, and manliness, or manly virtue: (TA:) or it signifies أَخَذَ سُرِّيَّةً [he took a concubine-slave]: (K:) or A2: one says also, تسرّى الجَارِيَةَ [He took the girl, or young woman, as a concubine-slave], from السُّرِّيَّةُ; said by Yaakoob to be originally تَسَرَّرَ, [which see in art. سر,] from السُّرُورُ. (S.) b2: and تسرّاهُ signifies ↓ أَخَذَ أَسْرَاهُ [i. e. He took the best thereof]. (M, TA. [See also 8.]) 7 إِنْسَرَوَ see 1, in the latter part of the paragraph.8 استرى He chose, or selected, as being the best, (S, M, K,) a thing, (M,) or men, (S, K,) and camels, and sheep or goats. (S.) and اِسْتَرَيْتُهُ I took the best of it. (T, TA. [See also 5, last sentence.]) And اِسْتَارَ signifies the same as استرى, being formed from the latter by transposition. (TA.) One says, استرى المَوْتُ بَنِى فُلَانٍ, (S,) or الحَىَّ, (K,) i. e. Death chose [or took] the best of the sons of such a one, or of the tribe. (S, * K, * TA.) سَرْوٌ an inf. n. of 1 [q. v.]. (S, M, K, &c.) [Used as a simple subst., Liberality, bountifulness, munificence, or generosity, combined with manliness, or manly virtue; &c.] b2: Hence, أَبُو السَّرْوِ (assumed tropical:) Aloes-wood, or the like, that is used for fumigation; syn. البَخُورُ. (Har p. 228.) A2: Also A part that rises from [the bottom of] a valley, and slopes down from the rugged portion of a mountain: (M, K:) or that rises from the channel in which the water flows, and slopes down from the rugged portion of a mountain: (M:) it is like a خَيْف. (S.) السَّرْوُ, (S, K,) or سَرْوُ حِمْيَرَ, occurring in a trad., is said to mean مَحَلَّةُ حِمْيَرَ [The settlement of Himyer]. (S, M, K.) A3: and A certain kind of tree, (S, M, K,) well-known; (K;) [the common, or evergreen, cypress; cupressus sempervirens of Linn.: applied thereto in the present day: (Delile's Floræ Aegypt. Illustr., no. 900:)] n. un. with ة. (S, M, K.) A4: and Certain worms that light upon plants, (M, K, TA,) and eat them: (M:) الثِّيَاب, in [some of] the copies of the K, is a mistranscription for النَّبَات: (TA:) sing. [or rather n. un.] with ة. (M.) سَرَاةٌ The back (S, M, K) of anything: (S:) pl. سَرَوَاتٌ: (S, M, K:) it has no broken pl. (M.) And The higher, or highest, part of anything: (M in the present art., and K in art. سرى:) so [for instance] of a mountain. (TA in art. سرى.) [Hence,] سَرَاةُ اليَمَنِ, (M,) or السَّرَاةُ [by way of preeminence, for سَرَاة is prefixed to the names of a number of places and of tribes, as is said in the TA in art. سرى], A certain mountain [or mountainous tract] commencing near 'Arafát and extending to Nejrán of El-Yemen: (Msb:) pl. as above. (M.) b2: The highest [or most advanced state] of the day: (TA:) [or] the state of advancement, when the sun has become somewhat high, (syn. اِرْتِفَاع,) of the day, (M, K, TA,) and so of other things; by some said to mean the middle thereof; (M;) so in the S, in relation to the day; but this is [said to be] a mistake: (TA:) in a verse of El-Bureyk El-Hudhalee, of the night: pl. as above: and the sing. also occurs used as a pl. (M.) b3: The middle of anything: pl. as above. (S.) The middle anسرىd main part of a road; (Mgh, Msb;) the hard and elevated part thereof. (K.) It is said in a trad., لَيْسَ لِلْنِّسَآءِ سَرَوَاتُ الطَّرِيقِ (S, Mgh) The back and middle of the road, (S,) or the middle and main parts thereof, (Mgh,) are not for the women; meaning that they should walk upon the side parts. (S.) b4: Accord. to Er-Rághib, A wide tract of land. (TA in art. سرى.) A2: It is also a pl., of a rare form, (S, Msb,) or a quasi-pl. n., (M, K,) of سَرِىٌّ [which see in several places]. (S, M, Msb, K.) سَرْوَةٌ n. un. of سَرْوٌ [q. v.] in two senses.

A2: See also سِرْوَةٌ.

سُرْوَةٌ: see what next follows.

سِرْوَةٌ (Th, AHn, T, S, M, K) and ↓ سُرْوَةٌ (Th, M, IAth, K) and ↓ سَرْوَةٌ (Kr, M, K) A small arrow: (S:) or a small and short arrow: or an arrow broad and long in the head; (M, K, TA;) but therewithal slender and short; with which one shoots at the butt: (TA:) or such as is round and smooth, not broad; the broad and long being termed مِعْبَلَةٌ: (M:) or the very slenderest of arrow-heads, that penetrates into the coats of mail: (Th, M:) or it [is an arrow that] penetrates into the coats of mail, for which reason it is called الدِّرْعِيَّةُ, its head entering like the needle: (T, TA:) or an arrow-head resembling an ordinary needle or a large needle: it is mentioned also in art. سرى, [as being a small, short, round and smooth arrow-head, having no breadth, and as being called سِرْوَةٌ and سِرْيَةً,] because the word belongs to that art. and to this: (M:) [see also مِرْمَاةٌ; and see سِرْوَةٌ in art. سرأ:] the pl. is سُرًى [or سِرًى?] accord. to the T, or سِرَآءٌ accord. to the S. (TA.) A2: The first (سِرْوَةٌ) also signifies The locust in its first state, when it is a larva; (S;) or in its first state of growth, when it comes forth from its egg: (M:) originally with hemz: (S:) [see سَرْءٌ, in two places:] and سِرْيَةٌ is a dial. var. thereof. (S.) [See also جَرَادٌ.]

سَرِىٌّ, as an epithet applied to a man, (S, M, K, &c.,) may be from اِسْتَرَيْتُ الشَّىْءَ “ I chose, or selected, the thing,” or from السَّرَاةُ “ the higher, or highest, part ” of a thing, (Ham p. 337,) or, accord. to Er-Rághib, from سَرَوْتُ الثَّوْبَ عَنِّى “ I pulled off the garment from me,” (TA, [in which this derivation is said to be good, but I think it far-fetched,]) Possessing liberality, bountifulness, munificence, or generosity, combined with manliness, or manly virtue: (S, Mgh:) or possessing manliness, or manly virtue, (M, K,) and, (M,) or combined with, (K,) high or elevated rank or condition, nobility, dignity, honour, or glory: (M, K:) or i. q. رَئِيسٌ [meaning a chief, or person high in rank or condition]: (Msb:) [or a generous and manly or noble person:] fem. with ة: (M, K:) and ↓ مَسْرَوَانٌ signifies the same, applied to a man; and ↓ مَسْرَوَانَةٌ applied to a woman: (M:) the pl. of سَرِىٌّ is أَسْرِيَآءُ and سُرَوَآءُ (Lh, M, K) and سُرًى, (Az, K,) which is anomalous, (TA,) and سَرَاةٌ, (T, S, Mgh, * Msb,) [originally سَرَوَةٌ,] which is [also] anomalous, (T, TA,) the only instance of فَعَلَةٌ as the measure of a pl. of a word of the measure فَعِيلٌ, (S, Msb,) or it is a quasi-pl. n., (Sb, M, K,) and its pl. is سَرَوَاتٌ; (S, M, Mgh, * K;) meaning سَادَاتٌ [or chiefs, &c.]; (Mgh); and سُرَاةٌ, with damm, [originally سُرَوَةٌ,] is a dial. var. of سَرَاةٌ, as pl. [or quasi-pl. n.] of سَرِىٌّ: (IAth, TA:) the pl. of سَرِيَّةٌ is سَرِيَّاتٌ and سَرَايَا. (M, K.) Also Chosen, or choice, or select: (M:) what is good of anything; pl. [or quasi-pl. n.] سَرَاةٌ: (Ham p. 337:) the best, (Msb, TA, and Har p. 56,) and in like manner سَرَاةٌ [as a pl.]; (M, Msb, TA, and Ham p. 57, and Har ubi suprà;) the former, of men, (Har ubi suprà,) and of camels; (S;) and the latter, of men, (S, TA, and Ham ubi suprà, and Har,) and of cattle or camels and the like, (S, M, TA,) as also the former. (TA.) A2: See also art. سرى.

سُرِّيَّةٌ, said by some to be originally of the measure فُعُّولَةٌ, from سَرْوٌ: see art. سر.

أَسْرَى is of the measure أَفْعَلُ [denoting the comparative and superlative degrees] from السَّرْوُ signifying “ liberality, bountifulness, munificence, or generosity, combined with manliness, or manly virtue: ” [&c.:] whence the phrase أَسْرَاهُمْ سُودَدًا, meaning The best of them in respect of chiefdom or the like: or it may be from السُّرَى; meaning in this instance that the fame of the chiefdom, or the like, of him to whom it relates has pervaded the countries and spread among mankind; and this is more worthy of regard in respect of the method of grammatical analysis; from Mtr: (Har p. 363: [see art. سرى:]) [ISd, however, assigns the word to the present art.:] see 5, last sentence.

أَرْضٌ مَسْرُوَّةٌ A land containing the سِرْوَة, or locust in its first state, when it is a larva. (S.) [In a copy of the M, it is said to be from السَّرْوَةُ; and the context there indicates the meaning to be A land infested by a worm of the kind termed سَرْوٌ, of which سَرْوَةٌ is the n. un.: but probably السَّرْوَةُ, in this instance, is a mistranscription for السِّرْوَةُ, which is mentioned immediately after as meaning “ the locust in its first state of growth, when it comes forth from its egg. ”]

مَسْرَوَانٌ; and its fem., with ة: see سَرِىٌّ.

سر

ى1 سَرَى, (S, M, K,) or سَرَى اللَّيْلَ (Msb) and بِاللَّيْلِ, (Mgh, Msb,) aor. ـْ (K,) inf. n. سُرًى (S, M, Mgh, K) and مَسْرًى (S, K) and سَرْيَةٌ and سُرْيَةٌ (M, K) and سِرَايَةٌ; (S, * and TA as from the K, but not in the CK nor in my MS. copy of the K;) the first of a form rare among inf. ns., because it is one of the forms of pls., as is shown by the fact that some of the Arabs make it and هُدًى fem., namely, Benoo-Asad, supposing them to be pls. of سُرْيَةٌ and هُدْيَةٌ, (S,) and Lh knew not سُرًى but as a fem. noun; (M;) or the inf. n. is سَرْىٌ, and سُرْيَةٌ and سَرْيَةٌ are more special [in meaning, as will be shown below, voce سَرْيَةٌ], and سُرًى is pl. of سُرْيَةٌ; (Msb;) or سَرْيَةٌ is an inf. n. un., and سُرْيَةٌ is a simple subst., and so is سُرًى, (S, TA,) and so is سِرَايَةٌ (Msb, TA) also, as some say; (TA;) He journeyed, or travelled, by night, or in the night, (S, M, Mgh, Msb, K,) in a general sense; (M, K;) accord. to Az, in the first part part of the night, and in the middle thereof, and in the last part thereof; (Msb, TA;) and ↓ اسرى signifies the same (S, M, Mgh, Msb, K) in the dial. of El-Hijáz, (S, Msb,) inf. n. إِسْرَآءٌ; (M;) as also ↓ استرى; (M, K;) and perhaps ↓ تسرّى likewise. (Mgh.) [See also سُرًى and سَرْيَةٌ below.] It is said in a prov., ذَهَبُوا إِسْرَاءَ ↓ قُنْفُذٍ‏ [They went away in the manner of a hedge-hog's night-travelling; meaning they went away by night]; because the قنفذ goes all the night, not sleeping. (M.) b2: [Hence, as denoting unseen progress,] it is said also of the root of a tree, meaning It crept along beneath the ground; (Az, M, K;) aor. as above, (M,) inf. n. سَرْىٌ. (TA.) b3: And it is said of ideal things, as being likened to corporeal things; tropically, and by extension of the signification; (Msb, TA;) or metaphorically; [as, for instance,] of calamities, and wars, and anxieties: (M, TA:) and the predominant inf. ns. [in these cases] are سِرَايَةٌ and سَرَيَانٌ. (TA.) One says, سَرَى عِرْقُ السُّوْءِ فِى الإِنْسَانِ (tropical:) [The root, or strain, of evil crept in the man]. (Es-Sarakustee, Msb, TA.) And سَرَى فِيهِ السَّمُّ (tropical:) [The poison crept in him, or pervaded him]; and similarly one says of wine; and of the like of these two things. (El-Fárábee, Msb, TA. [See also دَبَّ.]) And the lawyers say, سَرَى الجُرْحُ إِلَى النَّفْسِ (tropical:) [The wound extended to the soul], meaning that the pain of the wound continued until death ensued in consequence thereof: (Mgh, * Msb, TA:) and قُطِعَ كَفُّهُ فَسَرَى إِلَى سَاعِدِهِ (tropical:) [His hand was cut off, and it extended to his upper arm], meaning that the effect of the wound passed by transmission: and سَرَى التَّحْرِيمُ, and العِتْقُ, (tropical:) The prohibition, and the emancipation, [extended, or] passed by transmission: phrases current among the lawyers, but not mentioned in books of repute, though agreeable with others here preceding and following. (Msb, TA.) One says also, سَرَى عَلَيْهِ الهَمُّ (tropical:) Anxiety came to him [or upon him] by night: and سَرَى هَمُّهُ (tropical:) His anxiety went away. (Msb, TA.) and similar to these is the phrase in the Kur [lxxxix. 3], وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَسْرِ (tropical:) And by the night when it goes away: (Msb, TA:) or, as some say, when one journeys in it; like as one says لَيْلٌ نَائِمٌ meaning “ night in which one sleeps: ” the [final] ى [of the verb] is elided because it terminates a verse. (TA.) b4: It is made trans. by means of ب: (Msb:) one says, سَرَى بِهِ [He made him to journey, or travel, or he transported him, by night, or in the night; or it may be rendered he journeyed, or travelled, with him, by night, or in the night]; (M, Msb, K;) and in like manner, [and more commonly,] بِهِ ↓ أَسْرَى; (S, M, Msb, K;) and ↓ أَسْرَاهُ; (S, M, K;) like as one says, أَخَذَ بِالخِطَامِ as well as اخذ الخِطَامَ. (S.) As to the saying in the Kur [17:1], سُبْحَانَ الَّذِى أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا [Extolled be the glory of Him who transported his servant by night!], it is an instance of corroboration, (S, K, * TA,) like the saying, سِرْتُ أَمْسِ نَهَارًا and البَارِحَةَ لَيْلًا: (S, TA:) or the meaning is [simply] سَيَّرَهُ: (K, TA:) accord. to 'Alam-ed-Deen Es-Sakháwee, لَيْلًا is added, although الإِسْرَآء is not otherwise than by night, because the space over which he was transported is not to be traversed in less than forty days, but was traversed by him in one night; as though the meaning [intended] were, فِى لَيْلٍ وَاحِدٍ; and it denotes wonder: لَيْلًا is here used instead of لَيْلَةً because when they say سَرَى لَيْلَةً the meaning generally is he occupied the whole of the night in journeying: Er-Rághib holds the verb in this instance to be from سَرَاةٌ signifying “ a wide tract of land,” to belong to art. سرو, and to be like أَجْبَلَ and أَتْهَمَ; the meaning being, who transported his servant over a wide tract of land: but this is strange. (TA.) A2: سَرَى مَتَاعَهُ, (M, K,) aor. ـْ (M, TA,) inf. n. سَرْىٌ, (TA,) He threw his goods, or utensils and furniture, upon the back of his beast. (M, K.) b2: And سَرَى عَنِّى الثَّوْبَ, inf. n. سَرْىٌ, He removed from over me the garment: but و is more approved [as the final radical: see 1 in art, سرو]. (M, TA.) You say, سَرَيْتُ الثَّوْبَ and ↓ سَرَّيْتُهُ I pulled off the garment: and عَنْهُ ↓ سُرِّىَ It was removed from over him, and removed from its place: the teshdeed denotes intensiveness. (TA.) 2 سرّى, (K,) or سرّى سَرِيَّةً, (TA,) inf. n. تَسْرِيَةٌ, He (the leader of an army, TA) detached a سَرِيَّة [q. v.] (K, TA) to the enemy by night. (TA.) b2: سرّى العَرَقَ عَنْ بَدَنِهِ, inf. n. as above, He exuded the sweat from his body. (TA.) b3: See also 1, last sentence, in two places.4 أَسْرَىَ see 1, in the former half of the paragraph, in two places: b2: and again, in the latter half, in three places. b3: See also 4 in art. سرو.5 تَسَرَّىَ see 1, first sentence.8 إِسْتَرَىَ see 1, first sentence.

سُرًى, [said by some to be an inf. n., by some to be a simple subst., and by some to be pl. of سُرْيَةٌ, or supposed to be so, and therefore made fem., as mentioned in the first sentence of this art.,] meaning A journeying, or travelling, by night, or in the night, in a general sense, is masc. and fem., (M, K,) by some of the Arabs made fem., (S,) and not known to Lh but as a fem. noun. (M.) It is said in a prov., عِنْدَ الصَّبَاحِ يَحْمَدُ القَوْمُ السُّرَى

[At daybreak, the party commend night-journeying]: applied to the man who endures difficulty, or distress, or fatigue, hoping for rest, or ease: (Meyd:) and in inciting to labour for the accomplishment of an affair with patience, and to dispose and subject the mind, until one commends the result thereof. (Har p. 555, q. v.) سَرَاةٌ: see art. سرو.

سَرْيَةٌ and ↓ سُرْيَةٌ are inf. ns. of سَرَى: (M, K:) or have a more special signification than the inf. n. of that verb, which is سَرْىٌ: one says, سَرَيْنَا سَرْيَةً مِنَ اللَّيْلِ and ↓ سُرْيَةً [We journeyed by night a journey of the night]: and the pl. of ↓ سُرْيَةٌ is [said to be] سُرًى: (Msb:) or one says, سَرَيْنَا سَرْيَةً وَاحِدَةً [We journeyed by night a single night-journey]: and the subst. [signifying a journeying, or travelling, by night, or in the night,] is ↓ سُرْيَةٌ, and سُرًى. (S, TA.) سُرْيَةٌ: see the next preceding paragraph, in four places.

سِرْيَةٌ meaning An arrow-head, (As, M, TA,) such as is small, short, round and smooth, having no breadth, (M, TA,) is a dial. var. of سِرْوَةٌ [q. v.], (As, TA,) or formed from the latter word by the substitution of ى for و because of the kesreh: (M, TA:) accord. to the K, ↓ سَرِيَّةٌ signifies a small round arrow-head; but this is a mistake; the correct word being سِرْيَةٌ, with kesr, and without teshdeed to the ى. (TA.) A2: It is also a dial. var. of سِرْوَةٌ signifying The locust in its first state, when it is a larva. (S in art. سرو.) سَرَآءٌ A certain tree, (AHn, S, M, K,) from which bows are made, (AHn, S, M,) the wood whereof is of the best of woods, and which is of the trees of the mountains: (AHn, M:) ElGhanawee El-Aarábee says, the نَبْع and شَوْحَط [q. v.] and سَرَآء are one: (TA in art. شحط:) [it is also mentioned in the TA in art. سرأ:] n. un.

سَرَآءَةٌ. (M, K.) سَرِىٌّ i. q. نَهْرٌ [A river, &c.]: (Th, M:) or a rivulet, or streamlet: (S, M, Msb:) or a rivulet running to palm-trees: (M, K:) pl. [of pauc.]

أَسْرِيَةٌ (S, M, K) and [of mult.] سُرْيَانٌ: (Sb, S, M, Msb, K:) أَسْرِيَآءُ as its pl. has not been heard. (S.) Thus it has been expl. as occurring in the Kur xix. 24. (M, TA.) A2: See also art. سرو.

سَرِيَّةٌ A portion of an army: (S, Msb:) of the measure فَعِيلَةٌ in the sense of the measure فَاعِلَةٌ; because marching by night, privily; (Mgh, Msb;) thus originally, and afterwards applied also to such as march by day: (Ham p. 45:) or it may be from الاِسْتِرَآءُ “ the act of choosing, or selecting; ” because a company chosen from the army: (Mgh: [but if so, belonging to art. سرو:]) from five persons to three hundred: (M, K:) or four hundred: (K:) or, of horsemen, about four hundred: (M:) or the best thereof, (S,) or the utmost, (Nh,) consists of four hundred: (S, Nh:) or, accord. to the “ Fet-h el-Bári,” from a hundred to five hundred: (TA:) or nine, and more than this; three, and four, and the like being termed طَلِيعَةٌ, not سَرِيَّةٌ: but it is related of the Prophet that he sent a single person as a سَرِيَّة: (Mgh:) the pl. is سَرَايَا (S, Msb) and سَرِيَّاتٌ. (Msb.) A2: See also سِرْيَةٌ.

سِرَايَةٌ A journeying, or travelling, by night, or in the night: (S, Msb, TA:) an inf. n.; (TA as from the K; [see 1, first sentence;]) or a simple subst. (Msb, TA.) سَرَيَانِىٌّ, from the inf. n. سَرَيَانٌ, Pervasive: occurring in philosophical works, and probably post-classical.]

السُّرْيَانِيَّةُ The Syriac language.]

سَرَّآءٌ One who journeys much, or often, by night. (K.) سَارٍ Journeying, or travelling, by night, or in the night, in a general sense: (M, TA: *) pl. سُرَاةٌ. (TA.) b2: Hence, because of his going [about] by night, (TA,) السَّارِى signifies The lion; as also ↓ المُسَارِى and ↓ المُسْتَرِى. (K, TA.) سَارِيَةٌ A party, or company of men, journeying by night. (Er-Rághib, TA.) b2: And A cloud that comes by night: (S, Msb:) or clouds that travel by night: (K:) or a cloud that is between that which comes in the early morning and that which comes in the evening: [perhaps thus termed as having previously travelled in the night:] or, accord. to Lh, a rain that comes in the night: (M, TA:) pl. سَوَارِى [app. a mistranscription for سَوَارٍ, being indeterminate]. (K, TA.) b3: One says, جَآءَ صَبِيحَةَ سَارِيَةٍ He came in the morning of a night in which was rain. (TA.) b4: and the pl. السَّارِيَاتُ signifies The asses: (M:) or the wild asses: (TA:) because they rest not by night: (M:) or because they pasture by night. (TA.) A2: Also A column, syn. أُسْطُوَانَةٌ, (S, M, Msb, K,) of stone, or of baked bricks; so in the “ Bári': ” (TA:) pl. سَوَارٍ. (Mgh.) b2: [And A mast: see حَنَّ and صَرَّ: and see also صَارِيَةٌ.]

أَسْرَى [More, and most, used to night-journeying]. أَسْرَى مِنْ قُنْفُذٍ [More used to go about by night than a hedge-hog] is a prov. of the Arabs. (TA.) [See also the same word in art. سرو.]

مَسْرًى may be a n. of place and a n. of time, [signifying A place, and a time, of night-journeying,] as well as an inf. n. (Ham p. 23.) It is [used also in a larger sense, as] syn. with مَذْهَبٌ [A place, and a time, of going &c.: a way by which one goes &c.]. (Har p. 540.) المُسَارِى: see سَارٍ, above.

المُسْتَرَى: see سَارٍ, above.

المُتَسَرِّى He who goes forth in, or among, the [company termed] سَرِيَّة. (IAth, TA.)