وأداته أي أداة التشبيه الكاف، وكأن
The instruments of simile include kāf and kaʾanna.
An instrument of comparison is a particle or expression indicating that one term is being likened to another. Arabic commonly uses «كَـ» and «كَأَنَّ», while «مِثْل», «نَحْو», «شِبْه» and related verbal expressions can also perform comparative functions.
In «زَيْدٌ كَالْأَسَدِ», the prefixed kāf marks comparison directly. In «كَأَنَّ زَيْدًا أَسَدٌ», kaʾanna marks resemblance. Identifying the instrument reveals a formal relation between the two terms, but the specific respect of similarity still has to be inferred from meaning and context.