Classical Arabic - English Dictionary

دَفَّ, (M, Mṣb, Ḳ, &c.,) aor. ـِ {يَدْفِفُ}, (T, M, TA,) or ـُ (Mṣb, [but this is a deviation from a general rule, and is probably a mistake,]) inf. n. دَفِيفٌ (Lth, T, Ṣ, M, Mṣb) and دَفٌّ; (M, TA;) andادفّ↓; (Ibn-ʼAbbád, M, Mṣb, Ḳ;) said of a bird, (Lth, T, Ṣ, &c.,) It beat its sides (دَفَّيْهِ, i. e., Mṣb, جَنْبَيْهِ, M, Mṣb) with its wings: (M, Mṣb:) this is what is meant by the following explanation: (Mṣb:) it moved [or flapped] its wings (Mṣb, Ḳ) for its flight, (Mṣb,) as the pigeon (Ḳ) and the like: (TA:) and it went [or flew] along a little above the ground: (Ṣ, Ḳ:) or it moved [or flapped] its wings, with its feet upon the ground, (Lth, T, M, Ḳ,) flying, and then rose; (Lth, T;) and in like manner دَفْدَفَ↓ andاستدفّ↓: (Ḳ:) [or] دفّ andادفّ↓ signify also it (a bird) went along quickly, with its feet upon the ground, and then raised itself flying. (Mṣb.) It is said in a trad., يُؤْكَلُ مَا دَفَّ وَلَا ُؤْكَلُ مَا صَفَّ, (Ḳ,* TA,) i. e. What moves [or flaps] its wings [in flying], as the pigeon (Ḳ, TA) and the like, (TA,) may be eaten; but [what skims along without flapping,] such as vultures (Ḳ, TA) and hawks and the like, (TA,) may not be eaten. (Ḳ,* TA.) [But] دَفَّ,, aor. ـِ {يَدْفِفُ}, said of an eagle, signifies It approached, or was near to, the ground in its flying. (T.)

And, دَفَّ, aor. ـِ {يَدْفِفُ}, (M, Mṣb,) inf. n. دَفِيفٌ (Ṣ, M, Mṣb, Ḳ) and دَفٌّ, (Ḳ,) He, or it, (said of a camel, Ḳ, TA, and of a bird, TA, or of a party of men, Mṣb,) went a gentle pace; (Ṣ, M, Mṣb, Ḳ;) as alsoدَفْدَفَ↓. (IAạr, TA.) Dhu-r-Rummeh uses it metaphorically in relation to الدَّبَرَانِ [the asterism of the Hyades, or α of Taurus], describing الثُّرَيَّا [the Pleiades]; saying,

* يَدِفُّ عَلَى آثَارِهَا دَبَرَانُهَا *

* فَلَا هُوَ مَسْبُوقٌ وَلَا هُوَ يَلْحَقُ *

[Their Debarán goes along gently near after them, so that it is not outstripped, nor does it overtake]. (M.) [Andتَدَافَّ↓, accord. to ISd, seems to signify nearly the same: for it is immediately added in the M,] in the saying,

* إِلَيْكَ أَشْكُو مَشْيَهَا تَدَافِيَا *

* مَشْىَ العَجُوزِ تَنْقُلُ الأَثَافِيَا *

[app. complaining, to God, of the slowness of his she-camel, as though meaning To Thee I complain of her pressing on slowly and laboriously, like the gait of the old woman removing the three stones for the support of the cooking-pot], the poet means تَدَافُفًا. (M. [But I rather think that the meaning here intended is, going along with an inclining from side to side; perhaps from دَفٌّ signifying the “side.” See also 6 in art. دفو.]) One says also, الجَيْشُ يَدِفُّونَ نَحْوَ العَدُوِّ The troops go gently, or leisurely, towards the enemy. (Ṣ.) Andدَفَّتْ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ بَنِى فُلَانٍدَافَّةٌ↓ [A company coming gently, or leisurely, of the sons of such a one, so came to us]. (Ṣ.) Andدَفَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ دَافَّةٌ↓ مِنَ الأَعْرَابِ A company of Arabs of the desert journeying leisurely in search of herbage and sustenance [so] came to them. (Z, TA.) And هُمْ قَوْمٌ يَدِفُّونَ, inf. n. دَفِيفٌ, They are a party journeying together not a hard pace. (AA, T.) And دَفَّ عَلَى وَجْهِ الأَرْضِ (IAạr, T, TA,) inf. n. دَفٌّ, (Ḳ, TA,) He went lightly upon the ground; (Ḳ,* TA;) and ذَفَّ signifies the same. (IAạr, T.) And دَفِيفٌ also signifies The act of running. (T.)

Also دَفُّوا, aor. ـِ {يَدْفِفُ}, [app. They journeyed to a region of green herbage and waters in consequence of drought: (see دَافَّةٌ:) and hence,] they had rain after experiencing drought. (M.)

See also 10, in two places.

See also 3.

دَفَّ الشَّىْءَ, aor. ـُ {يَدْفُفُ}, (TḲ,) inf. n. دَفٌّ, (Ṣgh, Ḳ,) He uprooted the thing; extirpated it. (Ṣgh, Ḳ.)

دفّف, inf. n. تَدْفِيفٌ, He hastened, sped, or went quickly; (Ḳ;) as alsoدَفْدَفَ↓. (IAạr, Ḳ.)

See also 3, in two places.

دافّهُ, (T, Ṣ, M, Mṣb, Ḳ,) and دافّ عَلَيْهِ, (TA,) inf. n. مُدَافَّةٌ and دِفَافٌ; (T, Ṣ, M, Mṣb;) as also دَافَاهُ, which is of the dial. of Juheyneh, (T, M,) altered from the former, (M,) and ذافّهُ; (Mṣb, TA;) andدفّفهُ↓, (Ḳ,) orدفّف↓ عَلَيْهِ, (M, Mṣb, TA,) inf. n. تَدْفِيفٌ; (Mṣb;) as also ذفّف عليه; (T, M;) andدَفّ↓ عَلَيْهِ, aor. ـُ {يَدْفُفُ}, [or, accord. to rule, ـِ]; (Mṣb;) [as also ذَفَّ عليه;] namely, a man, (Ṣ,) a captive, (T, Ṣ,) or a wounded man, (M,) He despatched him; i. e. hastened and completed his slaughter; (T, Ṣ, M, Mṣb, Ḳ;) or wounded him so as to hasten his death. (Mṣb.)

ادفّ: see 1, first sentence, in two places.

أَدَفّتْ عَيْهِ الأُمُورُ The events came upon him consecutively, or uninterruptedly. (Ṣgh, Ḳ.)

تدافّ القَوْمُ The party, or company of men, bore, or pressed, or crowded, one upon another. (Aṣ, AʼObeyd, T, Ṣ, M, Ḳ.*)

See also 1.

استدفّ: see 1, first sentence.

Also It (a thing, M) was, or became, prepared, (AZ, T, M,) within one's power or reach, (Ṣ, M, Ḳ,) and easy; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) like استطفّ, the د being substituted for ط; (Ṣ;) [as also استذفّ;] and soدَفَّ↓, (T, M,) aor. ـِ {يَدْفِفُ}; (M;) [as also ذَفَّ.] You say, خُذْ َا ٱسْتَدَفَّ لَكَ, (AZ, T, Ṣ, Ḳ,) andما دَفَّ↓ لك, (AZ, T,) Take thou what is prepared for thee; (AZ, T;) what is within thy power or reach, and easy to thee. (Ṣ, Ḳ.)

And It (an affair, or a thing,) was, or became, rightly disposed or arranged; in a right state; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) or complete, (Ṣ, Mṣb,) and in a right state: (Ṣ:) and استذفّ signifies the same. (IḲṭṭ, IB, TA.)

استدفّ بِالمُوسَى ‡ He shaved his pubes with the razor, (Ḳ,* TA,) and did so utterly; occurring in this sense in a trad. (TA.)

دَفْدَفَ: see 1, in two places:

and see also 2.

[The inf. n.] دَفْدَفَةٌ signifies [also] The beating a دُفّ [or tambourine] hastily [or quickly]. (M, TA.)

دَفٌّ The side, syn. جَنْبٌ, (Lth, T, Ṣ, M, Mgh, Mṣb, Ḳ,) of anything, (Lth, T, M, Mṣb, Ḳ,) for instance, of a bird, (Mṣb,) and of a camel; (Ṣ;) as alsoدَفَّةٌ↓: (Lth, T, Mgh, Mṣb:) or the surface (صَفْحَة) of the side; (M, Ḳ;) as alsoدَفَّةٌ↓: (Ḳ:) pl. دُفُوفٌ. (T, M, Mṣb.) Hence,

[More enduring than an old camel in whose sides are scabs formed over wounds: a prov.]. (TA. [See Freytag's Arab. Prov. i. 737.]) Andبَاتَ يَقَّلَبُ عَلَى دَفَّتَيْهِ↓ [and دَفّيْهِ, i. e. He passed the night turning over and over upon his sides]. (TA.) The saying of' Antarah, describing his she-camel,

* وَكَأَنَّمَا تَنْأَى بِجَانِبِ دَفِّهَا *

* ٱلْوَحْشِىِّ مِنْ هَزِجِ العَشِىِّ مُؤَوَّمِ *

means And as though she were shrinking from the quarter of her off side, بِ being here used in the sense of عَنْ, from a creature that cries for food at supper-time; meaning a cat, of ugly form and big head, fearing to be scratched by it: as J says, [in art. وحش,] she shrinks with her off side because the rider's whip is in his right hand: (EM p. 233:) [or the meaning is, as though she were shrinking with the outside of her off side; lit, with the side of her off side; for, accord. to ISd,] this is an instance of the prefixing of a noun to another identical therewith [in signification]. (M.) [Hence also,] رَمَاهُ ٱللّٰهُ بِذَاتِ الدَّفِّ i. e. ذات الجَنْبِ [May God smite him with the pleurisy] (TA.)

Also A bank; an acclivity; or a part that faces one, above the foot or base; of sand; and of land or ground: (Ḳ:) accord. to En-Naḍr, [the pl.] دُفُوفٌ signifies banks; acclivities; or parts that face one, above the foot or base; of land or ground; (T, TA;) as also دَفَادِفُ, of which the sing. is دَفْدَفَةٌ↓: (T, Ḳ:) accord. to Z, the دُفُوف of valleys are the elevated parts of the sides. (TA.)

See also the next paragraph.

And دَفَّةٌ.

دُفٌّ andدَفٌّ↓, (T, Ṣ, M, Mgh, Mṣb, Ḳ,) the former the more approved, (Ḳ,) the latter mentioned by AʼObeyd, (Ṣ,) [and now the more common, A tambourine;] a certain thing with which one beats, (M, Ḳ,) or with which women beat, (Ṣ,) or with which one plays; (Mgh, Mṣb;) of two kinds; round; [such as is figured, under the name of “tár” (طار), in chap. xviii. of my work on the Modern Egyptians, with several pairs of tinkling plates of brass in apertures in the hoop, and sometimes, as in the kind used by hired wailing-women, without those tinkling plates;] and four-sided: [the latter seems to be only for amusement; for] it is said that the foursided is unlawful; but there is no harm in selling the round: (Mgh:) pl. دُفُوفٌ. (M, Mṣb, Ḳ.)

دَفَّةٌ: see دَفٌّ, in three places.

[Hence,] دَفَّتَا السَّرْجِ † [The two side-boards of the horse's saddle;] the two boards that lie against the two sides of the beast; (Mgh;) or the two sides [or boards] of the horse's saddle, that embrace it between them: [see قَرَبُوسٌ:] and so دَفَّتَا الرَّحْلِ † the two sides, &c. of the camel's saddle. (M.) And in like manner, (M,) دَفإَتَا المُصْحَفِ ‡ The two sides [or boards] of the book; (M, TA;) the two things that embrace the book between them; (T, M, Mgh, Ḳ,* TA;) the two faces, that are on the two sides, of the book. (Mṣb.) One says, حَفِظَ مَا بَيْنَ الدَّفَّتَيْنِ ‡ [He retained in his memory, or got by heart, what is between the two boards, meaning the whole contents, of the book]. (TA.) [دَفَّةٌ signifies also † A board in a general sense; and soدَفٌّ↓. And hence, † A rudder.] And دَفَّةُ الطَّبْلِ † The thing [or piece of skin] that is upon the head of the drum: (so in a copy of the M:) or دَفَّتَا الطَّبْلِ ‡ the two things, (T, Ḳ,) i. e. the two pieces of skin, (TA,) that are upon the head [or rather upon the two extremities] of the [common cylindrical] drum. (T, Ḳ, TA.) One says, ضَرَبَ دَفَّتِى الطَّبْلِ ‡ [He beat the two skins of the drum]. (TA.)

دَفُوفٌ An eagle approaching the ground (Ṣ, Ḳ) in its flight (Ṣ) when making a stoop: (Ṣ, Ḳ:) or flying swiftly. (Skr, TA.)

دُفُوفِىٌّ [rel. n. from دُفُوفٌ pl. of دُفٌّ and دَفٌّ; app. meaning A seller, or, like مُدَفِّفٌ, a maker, of tambourines]. (Ḳ: there mentioned as an appellation of a certain man.)

دَفَّافٌ An owner of tambourines (دُفُوف). (M, TA.) [And] A beater of the tambourine (دُفّ); (MA;) [and] so مُدَفْدِفٌ↓. (M.)

دَفَّافَةٌ: see دَافٌّ.

دَفْدَفَةٌ: see دَفٌّ, near the end of the paragraph.

[It is also the inf. n. of R. Q. 1, q. v.]

دَافٌّ [originally دَافِفٌ, act. part. n. of دَفَّ, q. v.,] is opposed to صَافٌّ, which signifies “spreading its wings and not moving [or flapping] them” [in its flight]. (M, TA.) A rájiz, (M,) Ru-beh, (T,) [for the sake of rhyme], uses دَافِى for دَافِفُ. (T, M.)

جَمَاعَةٌ دَافَّةٌ A company of men going a gentle pace: (Mṣb:) and دَافَّةٌ [alone] a party journeying together not a hard pace: (AA, T:) an army going gently, or leisurely, towards the enemy: (Ṣ, Ḳ:*) a company of men coming from one country or town to another: (IDrd, M:) a party going to a great town or city: (TA:) a company of men journeying leisurely (يَدِفُّونَ) in search of herbage and sustenance: (Z, TA:) a party of the people of the desert journeying to a region of green herbage and waters in consequence of drought: and [hence] a party having rain after experiencing drought; as alsoدَفَّافَةٌ↓. (M.) See 1, in two places.

مُدَفِّفٌ A maker of دُفُوف [or tambourines]. (M. [See also دُفُوفِىٌّ.])

سَنَامٌ مُدَفِّفٌ A camel's hump that falls [or hangs] down upon his sides. (Ṣ, Ṣgh, Ḳ.)