ثَفِنَةٌ

Full Definition

ثَفِنَةٌ [The callosity, or callous protuberance, upon] the knee; and what touches the ground, [in the act of lying down,] of [the callosity upon the breast called] the كِرْكِرَة and the سَعْدَانَة, [two words having the same meaning, for the latter of which the K erroneously substitutes the pl. form,] and of [each of the stifle-joints, i. e.,] the roots, or lower parts, of the thighs; of the camel: pl. ثِفَنٌ and ثِفَانٌ and ثِفِنَاتٌ: the ثَفِنَات of the camel are the parts that fall upon the ground when the animal lies down, and that become rough, or callous, such as the two knees, &c.; the parts that are next the ground when the camel lies down, one of them being the كِرْكِرَة, with which they are five in number [as explained above]: or, as some say, the ثَفِنَة is [only the stifle-joint, i. e.,] the joint between the thigh and the ساق [or leg properly so called], internally, [meaning anteriorly,] and [the knee, i. e.,] the joint between the shank and the arm: or, accord. to some, any part that is next the ground, of any quadruped, when he lies down like the camel and like the sheep.
2 Hence, [The stifle-joint, i. e.,] the joint between each thigh and leg, internally, [meaning anteriorly,] of a horse.
3 Hence also, The knee of a man: or [so accord. to the M, but in the K “ and, ”] the place of union of the shank and thigh: [or the lower portion of the fore part of the knee, which becomes callous in consequence of much kneeling: see 3, first sentence. Hence,] 'Abd-Allah Ibn-Wahb Er-Rásibee was surnamed ذُو الثَّفِنَاتِ from his much praying, because long prostration produced an [indurating] effect upon his ثفنات: and 'Alee Ibn-El-Hoseyn Ibn-'Alee, known by the appellation of Zeyn-el-'Ábìdeen, was [likewise] so surnamed, because those parts of him upon which he prostrated himself were like the ثفنة of the camel in consequence of his much praying: so too was 'Alee Ibn-AbdAllah Ibn-El-'Abbás.
4 الثَّفِنَةُ مِنَ الجُلَّةِ, (K, [in some of the copies of the K الحُلَّة, which, as is said in the TA, is a mistake,]) or ثَفِنَتَا الجُلَّةِ, The two edges of the lower part of the جُلَّة, [meaning,] of the dates [contained in the receptacle thus called; app. because the dates in the edges become more dry and hard than the main portion].

def.2 Also A number, and a company, of men.

def.3 And [as fem. of ثَفِنٌ, which is perhaps unused,] A she-camel that strikes with her ثَفِنَات [here meaning her stifle-joints] on the occasion of her being milked. Her case is easier than that of the ضَجُور.

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