Classical Arabic - English Dictionary

صَفَعَهُ, aor. ـَ {يَصْفَعُ}, (O, Mṣb, Ḳ,) inf. n. صَفْعٌ, (Ṣ,* O, Mṣb, TA,) accord. to Lth, (O, TA,) He struck him with his fist, not vehemently, on the back of his neck: (O, Ḳ, TA:) or, (O, Ḳ,) accord. to Az (O, Mṣb, TA) and others, (Mṣb,) he struck him [i. e. slapped him] with his expanded hand (O, Mṣb, Ḳ, TA) on the back of his neck, or on his body; not with the fist: (O, Mṣb, TA:) or it is post-classical: (Ṣ, Ḳ:) [but Fei says,] the assertion that it is post-classical is not to be regarded: (Mṣb:) Az adds, IDrd says that it is from صَوْفَعَةٌ↓, (O, TA,) which signifies the top, or uppermost part, of the [cap called] كُمَّة, and of the turban: (O, Ḳ, TA:) or this is a mistranscription, and is correctly with ق: (Ḳ, TA:) [Ṣgh says,] this which Az mentions, [as] on the authority of IDrd, I have not found in the Jm; and it is correctly with ق. (O.)

صَفْعَةٌ A single act of striking [or slapping] with the expanded hand upon the back of the neck, or upon the body. (Mṣb.)

صَفْعَانُ or صَفْعَانٌ (accord. to different copies of the Ṣ and Ḳ) A man who is struck [or slapped] in the manner expl. above in the first paragraph; (Ṣ, Mṣb, Ḳ;) as alsoمَصْفَعَانِىٌّ↓. (O, Ḳ.)