Classical Arabic - English Dictionary

حَفَنَهُ, (Ṣ,) aor. ـُ {يَحْفُنُ}, (PṢ, TḲ,) [or ـِ, as in a phrase following,] inf. n. حَفْنٌ, (M, Ḳ,) He took it (a thing) with the palms of his two hands and with the fingers put together [so as to make the two hands like a bowl]: (M, Ḳ:) or he scooped it up, or out, (جَرَفَهُ,) with both his hands: (Ṣ, Ḳ:) said only of what is dry, as flour, and sand, and the like. (Ṣ.)

حَفَنَ القَوْمَ He gave to every one of the party a حَفْنَة. (TA.)

حَفَنَ لَهُ, (Mṣb,) or حَفَنَ لَهُ حَفْنَةً, (Ṣ,) aor. ـِ {يَحْفِنُ}, (Mṣb,) inf. n. حَفْنٌ, (Mṣb, Ḳ,) He gave to him a small quantity. (Ṣ, Ḳ.)

حَفَنَ المَآءَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ He threw the water upon his head with his two hands [put together so as to be like a bowl]. (IAạr, TA.)

احتفنهُ (Ṣ, Ḳ) لِنَفْسِهِ (Ṣ) He took it (a thing) for himself. (Ṣ, Ḳ.)

احتفن مِنْهُ ‡ He took much of it. (A, TA.)

احتفن الشَّجَرَ † He pulled up the trees from the ground. (Ḳ.) And احتفن الرَّجُلَ † He uprooted the man: (Az, Ṣ:) [or] احتفنهُ signifies ‡ he put his hands, or arms, beneath his knees, and took him [by that part, i. e.] by the inner side of the knee, and then carried him, or carried him off or away. (Ḳ, TA.)

حَفَنٌ The act of turning the feet as though one were throwing the dust (كَأَنَّهُ يَحْثُو) with them, when walking. (Ḳ.)

حَفْنَةٌ, (Ṣ, Mgh, Mṣb, TA, and so, accord. to the TA, in the Ḳ,) orحُفْنَةٌ↓, (so in copies of the Ḳ,) [but the former is that which is commonly known,] A handful: (Mgh, Ḳ:) or the quantity that fills the two hands [when they are put together so as to be like a bowl]; (Ṣ, Mṣb;) of wheat [or the like]: (Ṣ:) pl. حَفَنَاتٌ. (Ṣ, Mṣb.) Hence, (in the saying of Aboo-Bekr, TA,) إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ حَفْنَةٌ مِنْ حَفَنَاتِ ٱللّٰهِ, (Ṣ, TA,) i. e., ‡ We shall be but little, on the day of resurrection, like a حفنة, in the estimation of God; (TA;) meaning we shall be but a small thing in comparison with the dominion and the mercy of God. (Ṣ, TA.)

Also The hand (كَفّ) itself. (Ḥar p. 296.)

See also what next follows.

حُفْنَةٌ A hollow, cavity, trench, or the like, dug, or excavated, in the ground, (Ṣ, Ḳ, TA,) wherever it be; or excavated by a torrent in rugged ground, in the channel of the water: (TA:) and a [hollow, or cavity, in the ground, such as is termed] نُقْرَة, (ISk, Ḳ,) having in it water, and in its bottom pebbles and earth; (ISk, TA;) as alsoحَفْنَةٌ↓: (Ḳ:) a well, or pit: (KL:) pl. of the former حُفَنٌ; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) which is explained by Sh as meaning small round hollows or cavities, in which rain-water stagnates, excavated by the water, in the form of pools. (TA.)

See also حَفْنَةٌ.

حَفَّانٌ, n. un. with ة {حَفَّانَةٌ}, belongs to art. حف, q. v. (Ṣ, Ḳ.)

مِحْفَنٌ, applied to a man, (TA,) i. q. كَثِيرُ الحفْنِ [i. e. One who takes much with the palms of his two hands and with the fingers put together: or who scoops up, or out, much, with both his hands: see 1, first sentence]. (ISd, Ḳ.)