Classical Arabic - English Dictionary

زَفَرَ, aor. ـِ {يَزْفِرُ}, (Ṣ, Ḳ,) inf. n. زَفِيرٌ (Ṣ, A, Ḳ) and رَفْرٌ (Ḳ) and إِزْفِيرٌ, (M, [like إِرْزِيزٌ, app. an inf. n., or perhaps a simple subst.,]) He drew in his breath to the utmost, by reason of distress: (Ṣ:) it originally signifies he drew back his breath vehemently, so that his ribs became swollen out: (Er-Rághib:) زَفِيرٌ is the beginning of the cry of the ass, (Lth, Ṣ, A, Er-Rághib,) and of the like, (Lth,) and is generally used in this sense; (Er-Rághib;) and شَهِيقٌ is the ending thereof; (Lth, Ṣ, A, Er-Rághib;) for the former is the drawing in of the breath, and the latter is the sending it forth: (Lth, Ṣ:) or the verb signifies he sent forth his breath, after prolonging it: (M, Ḳ:) or he sent forth his breath with a prolonged sound: [i. e., he sighed, or uttered a long sigh, or sighed vehemently; or he groaned:] or he filled his chest, by reason of grief, and then sent forth his breath: (TA:) or he breathed, raising his voice, like one moaning, or in grief. (Ḥar p. 20.)

[Hence,] زَفَرَتِ النَّارُ † The fire made a sound to be heard from its burning, or its fierce burning: (Ḳ:) and this [sounding] is termed زَفِيرٌ. (TA.) [See also حَدْمٌ; where زَفْرٌ, its inf. n., is expl., on the authority of AZ, as signifying The flaming, or blazing, of fire.] And البَحْرُ يَزْفِرُ بِتَمَوُّجِهِ ‡ [The sea makes a roaring by its tumultuousness]. (A, TA.)

زَفَرَتِ الأَرْضُ † The land put forth its plants, or herbage. (TA.)

زَفَرَ, aor. ـِ {يَزْفِرُ}, (Ṣ, A, Ḳ,) inf. n. زَفْرٌ; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) andازدفر↓; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) He carried, (Ṣ, A, Ḳ,) a thing, (Ḳ,) or a load, or burden, (Ṣ, A,) as, for ex., a filled water-skin. (TA.) You say, يَزْفِرُونَ عَنْهُ الأَثْقَالَ [They bear, or carry, or take off from him, and carry, his burdens]. (A.)

He drew, (Ḳ, TA,) and carried, (TA,) water. (Ḳ, TA.)

تزفّر occurs in the Saheeh of El-Bukháree as meaning تَخَبَّطَ [q. v.]: but El-Jelál says, in the Towsheeh, that this is not known in the language of the Arabs. (MF.)

[Freytag explains it as meaning He ate fat food, breaking the fast; likeزفّر↓; (which latter generally means, in the present day, he rendered greasy;) but this I believe to be post-classical. See De Sacy's Chrest. Ar., sec. ed., i. 270.]

زِفْرٌ A load, or burden, syn. حِمْلٌ, (Ṣ, A, Ḳ,) on the back, (Ḳ,) or on the head, that is heavy, and in consequence of which the bearer breathes vehemently, or groans (يَزْفِرُ): (A:) pl. أَزْفَارٌ. (Ṣ, A.)

A [water-skin of the kind called] قِرْبَة: (Ṣ, Ḳ:) a skin in which a pastor carries his water: pl. as above. (TA.)

The apparatus of a traveller, (Ḳ,) comprising the water-skin, &c. (TA.)

A lamb; syn. حَمَلٌ: so in the Bári'. (Ḳ.) This signification and that of حِمْلٌ are both correct. (TA.)

زَفَرٌ A prop of a tree. (Ḳ, TA.)

[In modern Arabic, it means Grease, greasy food, or flesh-meat: app. from the Pers. زَفَرْ or زَفْر, signifying “filth:” and hence, obscenity. Hence also the vulgar epithet زِفِر (app. for زَفِرٌ), meaning Greasy: and foul, or filthy: and obscene. See 5.]

زُفَرٌ ‡ A sea, (Ḳ,) that makes a roaring, (يَزْفِرُ,) by reason of its tumultuousness. (TA.)

‡ A river containing much water, (Ḳ,) so that it resembles a sea. (TA.)

‡ A large gift, (Ḳ,) as likened to a sea. (TA.)

‡ A liberal man; likened to a sea that makes a roaring, (يَزْفِرُ,) by reason of its tumultuousness; (A;) as alsoزَافِرَةٌ↓. (TA.)

One who carries loads, or burdens; meaning, who has strength to carry water-skins. (Ḳ.) [See also زَافِرَةٌ.]

† One who has power to bear responsibilities. (Sh, Ṣ.*)

Hence, † A lord, master, chief, or the like: (Ṣ:) or, for the same reason, a great lord, or the like; (TA;) as alsoزَافِرَةٌ↓. (Ḳ, TA.)

† A courageous man. (Ḳ,* TA.)

† A lion. (Ḳ.)

See also زَافِرَةٌ, in three places:

and زَفِيرٌ.

زَفْرَةٌ A drawing-in of the breath to the utmost, by reason of distress: (Ṣ:) [or a drawing-back of the breath vehemently, so that the ribs become swollen out: (see 1:)] or an emission of the breath after prolonging it; as alsoزُفْرَةٌ↓ andمُزْدَفَرٌ↓ andمُزَفَّرٌ↓, (Ḳ, TA,) orمُزْفَرٌ↓, (as in a copy of the Ḳ,) andمُزَفَّرَةٌ↓: (CK, but omitted in the TA and in my MṢ. copy of the Ḳ:) [or an emission of the breath with a prolonged sound; i. e., a sigh, or a long or vehement sigh; or a groan: or an emission of the breath after filling the chest with it by reason of grief: (see, again, 1:)] pl. زَفَرَاتٌ, because it is a subst., not an epithet; but sometimes, by poetic license, زَفْرَاتٌ. (Ṣ.) El-Jaadee says,

* خِيطَ عَلَىزَفْرَةٍ فَتَمَّ وَلَمْ *

* يَرْجِعْ عَلَى دِقَّةٍ وَلَاهَضَمِ *

meaning As though he were sewed up after a drawing-in of the breath to the utmost, by reason of distress, so that he seemed to be constantly so drawing in his breath, on account of the largeness of his belly, [and did not become restored to slenderness nor lankness of the belly.] (Ṣ.) And another says,

* فَتَسْتَرِيحُ النَّفْسُ مِنْ زَفْرَاتِهَا *

[And the soul finds rest from its drawing-in of the breath to the utmost, by reason of distress; or from its sighs, &c.]. (Ṣ.)

Also↓ all the words above mentioned, [A man] breathing [in the manner above described]; syn. مُتَنَفِّسٌ; [unless this be a mistranscription for مُتَنَفِّسٌ meaning the place of (such) breathing; as seems probable from the forms of more than one of these words, and from what follows, and also from an explanation of مُزْدَفَرٌ, below.] (Ḳ, TA.)

Also زَفْرَةٌ (Ḳ, TA) andزُفْرَةٌ↓ (Ṣ, Ḳ,* TA [but not the other words mentioned above, as is implied in the CK,]) The middle (Ṣ, Ḳ) of a thing, (Ḳ,) or of a horse: (Ṣ:) or the chest, or belly: pl. of the former, زَفَرَاتٌ. (TA.) One says,إِنَّهُ لَعَظِيمُ الزُّفْرَةِ↓ Verily he is great in the middle: (Ṣ, TA:) or in the chest, or belly. (TA.)

One says also, of a camel, or other beast, مَا أَشَدَّ زَفْرَتَهُ, meaning How strong is the knitting together of his joints! (TA.)

زَفِيرٌ A calamity; a misfortune; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) as alsoزُفَرٌ↓. (TA.)

زَافِرٌ One who [carries or] helps to carry loads, or burdens: (TA:) and زَوَافِرُ [pl. of زَافِرَةٌ↓] female slaves that carry water-skins (Ṣ) or [other] loads, or burdens. (TA.)

See also the next paragraph.

زَافِرَةٌ: see what next precedes.

Also † A bulky camel; (Ḳ;) and soزُفَرٌ↓: (Ṣgh, Ḳ:) because he carries loads, or burdens. (TA.)

† The كَاهِل [or withers, or upper portion of the back, next the neck,] with what is next to it. (TA.) [Because loads are borne upon it.]

† The side, or angle, (رُكْن,) of a building, (Ḳ,) upon which it [mainly] rests, or is supported: pl. زَوَافِرُ. (TA.) [Hence the expression] لِمَجْدِهِمْ زَوَافِرُ ‡ Their glory has props that strengthen it. (A, Ḳ.*)

‡ A man's aiders, or assistants, (Ṣ, TA,) and his kinsfolk, or tribe, syn. عَشِيرَة, (Ṣ, A, Ḳ,) as also زَوَافِرُ; because they bear his burdens: (A:) his aiders, or assistants, and particular friends. (TA.) You say, هُمْ زَافِرَتُهُمْ عِنْدَ السُّلْطَانِ ‡ They are the persons who undertake and perform their business with the Sultán. (Ṣ.) Andهُوَ زَافِرُ↓ قَوْمِهِ, and زَافِرَتُهُمْ, also, عِنْدَ السُّلْطَانِ, ‡ He is the chief of his people, and the bearer of their burdens, with the Sultán. (A.) See also زُفَرٌ, in two places.

† A company, or congregated body, (Ḳ,) of men; (TA;) as alsoزُفَرٌ↓. (Ḳ,* TA.)

† An army; or a collected portion thereof; or a troop of horse; syn. كَتِيبَةٌ, as alsoزُفَرٌ↓. (Ḳ.)

‡ [A rib: pl. زَوَافِرُ.] You say فَرَسٌ شَدِيدُ الزَّوَافِرُ ‡ A horse having strong ribs. (A.)

‡ A bow: (Ḳ:) pl. زَوَافِرُ: (A:) so called as being likened to a rib: (TA:) [or perhaps from its sound.]

† The part of an arrow exclusive of the feathers: (Ṣ, Ḳ:) or the part exclusive of two thirds, next the head: (ʼEesà Ibn-ʼOmar, Ṣ, Ḳ:) or the part from a little below the head to the head: (ISh:) or about a third part of an arrow, and of a spear. (TA.) [Perhaps so called from its sound.]

أُمُّ زَافِرَةٍ The بَبْرَة [or female of the بَبْر]. (T in art. ام.)

أَزْفَرُ A horse large in the sides: (Ḳ:) or in the ribs of the sides: or in the chest, or belly: or in the middle: (TA:) pl. زُفْرٌ. (Ḳ.)

الزَّفْرَآءُ, used as a subst., The pudendum; like المَعْطَآءُ; syn. السَّوْءَةُ. (IAạr, TA in art. معط.)

مَزْفُورٌ A beast, (Ḳ,) or camel, (TA,) having his joints strongly knit together. (Ḳ, TA.) You say also, هُوَ مَزْفُورُ الخَلْقِ [He is strongly compacted in make]. (TA.)

مُزْدَفَرٌ The part of the breast (جُؤْجُؤ) of a horse from which the breathing termed زَفِير [see 1] proceeds. (AO, O, Ḳ.)

See also زَفْرَةٌ, in two places.