Classical Arabic - English Dictionary

جَفَأَ, (Ṣ, Ḳ,) aor. ـَ {يَجْفَأُ}, (Ḳ,) inf. n. جَفْءٌ, (Ṣ,) It (a valley [flowing with water]) cast forth froth, or foam, (Ṣ, Ḳ,) and particles of rubbish or refuse; (Ṣ;) as alsoاجفأ↓; (Ḳ;) but this latter is said in the O to be of weak authority. (TA.) And جَفَأَتِ القِدْرُ, andاجفأت↓, The cooking-pot cast forth its froth, or foam, (Ṣ, Ḳ,) in boiling: (Ṣ:) or جفأت بِزَبَدِهَا it cast forth its froth, or foam: (Ḥam p. 132:) originally جَفَت and اجفت, without ء. (Er-Rághib, TA in art. جفو.)

جَفَأَ الوَادِى, (Ḳ,) or جَفَأَ الغُثَآءَ عَنِ الوَادِى, (IAạr, O,) He (a man, IAạr, O) swept off the scum and rubbish of the valley [after it had flowed, or while it was flowing, with water]. (IAạr, O, Ḳ.) And جَفَأَ القِدْرَ He cleared off the froth, or foam, of the cooking-pot. (Ḳ, TA.)

Also جَفَأَ القِدْرَ, (Ṣ, Z in the Fáïk, TA,) inf. n. as above; (Ṣ, TA;) andأَجْفَأَهَاس↓; (Z ubi suprà, TA;) but the former is that which is commonly known; (ISd, TA;) the latter is rare; (IAth, TA:) or the latter should not be said, though it occurs in a trad., (Ṣ, TA,*) accord. to one relation; (TA;) He turned the cooking-pot upsidedown, or inclined it, (Ṣ, Z ubi suprà, TA,) and poured out what was in it: (Ṣ:) or he emptied the cooking-pot, and turned it upside-down: (TA:) and جَفَأَ البُرْمَةَ فِى القَصْعَةِ He turned the cookingpot upside-down upon the bowl. (Ḳ.)

جَفَأَهُ, (Ṣ, Ḳ,) [like حَفَأَهُ,] and جَفَأَ بِهِ الأَرْضَ, (TA,) He threw him down, or prostrated him, on the ground: (Ṣ, Ḳ, TA;) namely, a man: (Ṣ:) andاجفأ↓ بِهِ [signifies the same; or] he threw him, or it, (Ḳ, TA,) on the ground. (TA.)

See also 8.

اجتفأ He pulled, or plucked, up, or out, or he uprooted, (Ṣ, Ḳ,) and threw down, or away, a thing, (Ṣ,) or plants, or herbs, such as are termed بَقْل, (Ḳ,) and trees; (TA;) [but see احتفى;] as alsoجَفَأَ↓, (Ḳ,) aor. and inf. n. as above: (TA:) [or] both signify he cut a plant, or herb. (IAạr, Nh.)

جُفَآءٌ What is cast forth [of froth, or foam, and particles of rubbish or refuse, (see 1,)] by a torrent: (ISk, Ṣ:) the froth, or foam, cast forth by a valley [flowing with water]; and by a cooking-pot, (Ḳ, TA,) in boiling. (TA.)

Hence, as being likened to the froth, or foam, of the cooking-pot, of which no use is made, (Fr, TA,) i. q. بَاطِلٌ [meaning A thing that is worthless, useless, or unprofitable]. (Fr, Ḳ, TA.) It is said in the Ḳur [xiii. 18], فَأَمَّا الزَّبَدُ فَيَذْهَبُ جُفَآءً, meaning بَاطِلًا [i. e. Now as to the froth, or scum, it passeth away as a thing that is worthless, or useless, or unprofitable], (Fr, Ṣ, Jel, TA,) and thrown away. (Jel.) You say also, ذَهَبَ الزَّبَدُ جُفَآءً, meaning [The froth, or scum, passed away] driven from its water. (TA.)

جُفَآءٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ, occurring in a trad., is explained by IAth as meaning The first, or foremost, of the men or people (سَرَعَانُهُمْ): but Bkh and Muslim read (instead of جفاء) أَخِفَّآءُ, pl. of خَفِيفٌ. (TA.)

Also, [like جُفَايَةٌ,] An empty ship. (O, Ḳ.)