Edward William Lane, An Arabic-English Lexicon, ظ

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ظَرِيفٌ ذ Possessing the quality, or qualities, termed ظَرْف; (T, S, M, O, Msb, K;) as also ↓ ظُرَافٌ , (Lh, M, O, K,) the two being like طَوِيلٌ and طُوَالٌ, (O,) [or the latter has an intensive signification, (see طُوَالٌ, and see also the “ Durrat el-Ghowwás, ” in De Sacy's Anthol. Gramm. Arabe, p. 48 of the Ar. text,)] and ↓ ظُرَّافٌ , (M, K,) or this last, which is like طُوَّالٌ, denotes more than ظُرَافٌ without teshdeed: (O:) accord. to Mbr, it is derived from ظَرْف signifying “ a receptacle, ” as though meaning a receptacle for excellence, or elegance, in mind, manners, or address or speech: (TA:) [it may be rendered, agreeably with explanations of ظَرْفٌ, excellent, or elegant, in mind, manners, and address or speech; and in person, countenance or garb, guise, or external appearance: or clever, ingenious, intelligent, or acute in intellect; well-mannered, well-bred, accomplished, or polite; beautiful in person or countenance; elegant, or graceful; &c.:] and is expl. as meaning eloquent; thus by As and IAar: and possessing knowledge and courage: and goodly, or beautiful, in clothing, and in outer apparel: (TA:) and is used by the people of El-Yemen as meaning skilful: (O:) and, as Ks says, it is applied as an epithet to a tongue, and to a face: (TA:) the pl. of ظَرِيفٌ is ظِرَافٌ (S, M, O, Msb, K) and ظُرَفَآءُ (T, S, O, Msb, K) and ظَرِيفُونَ (O, K) and ظُرُفٌ, (S, M, IB, K,) a form sometimes used, (IB, TA,) and ظُرُوفٌ, (T, S, M, O, K,) also a form sometimes used, (S, O,) approvable in poetry, (T,) as though formed from ظَرْفٌ, or [anomalous] like مَذَاكِيرُ (S, O, K) accord. to Kh (S, O) and Sb: (TA:) the pl. of ↓ ظُرَافٌ is ظُرَفَآءُ: (Lh, M, K:) and the pl. of ↓ ظُرَّافٌ is ظُرَّافُونَ: (M, K:) the fem. of ظَرِيفٌ is ظَرِيفَةٌ; and the pl. of this is ظِرَافٌ, (Sb, T, M, Msb, TA,) like a pl. of the masc., (Sb, M, TA,) and ظَرَائِفُ. (T, M, TA.) It is said in a trad. of 'Omar, mentioned by IAar, (Mgh, O, TA,) and by As, (TA,) إِِذَا كَانَ اللِّصُّ ظَرِيفًا لَا يُقْطَعُ, (Mgh,) or لَمْ يُقْطَعْ, (O, TA,) meaning When the thief is eloquent (Mgh, O, TA) and intelligent, (Mgh,) he averts from himself the prescribed punishment by his pleading [so that he will not be, or is not, mutilated by amputation of the hand]. (Mgh, O, TA.)