Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon

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صَافِنٌ

Root: صفن

Full Definition

صَافِنٌ A horse standing upon three legs and the extremity of the hoof of the fourth leg: or standing upon three legs, and turning back the extremity of the fore part of the fourth hoof, that of his fore leg: or standing upon three legs, and otherwise: thus, says Fr, I have found the Arabs use the word: pl. صُفُونٌ and صَوَافِنُ and [the pl. of صَافِنَةٌ is] صَافِنَاتٌ. صَافِنَاتٌ occurs in the Kur xxxviii. 30. And in the same, xxii. 37, I'Ab and Ibn-Mes-'ood used to read صَوَافِنَ [instead of صَوَافَّ]; the former explaining it as meaning Having the shank of one fore leg tied up to the arm; for thus is done with the camel when he is slaughtered: the latter, as meaning standing, or standing still.
2 And applied to a man, it means صَافٌّ قَدَمَيْهِ [setting his feet evenly, side by side], standing. It is said in a trad., referring to the Prophet mentioned as praying, قُمْنَا خَلْفَهُ صُفُونًا [app. meaning We stood behind him setting our feet evenly, side by side; for so the context seems to indicate]. [But] in another trad., صَلٰوةُ الصَّافِنِ is said to be forbidden; meaning [The praying] of him who puts his feet close together: or, as some say, of him who turns back his foot [i. e. one of his feet] like as the horse turns his hoof [i. e. one of his hoofs, when standing upon three legs].

def.2 الصَّافِنُ signifies [The saphena, or crural vein; so in the present day; i. e.] the vein of the سَاق: (S: [see أَبْهَرُ, and see also النَّسَا:]) or a vein lying deep in the arm (الذِّرَاع) [and] amid the sinews of the [fore] shank of a beast: or the صَافِنَانِ are two veins penetrating into the interior of the two shanks: or two veins in the legs: or two branches [of veins] in the two thighs: and the صافن is [strangely said to be] a vein in the interior of the back bone, extending lengthwise, uniting with the نِيَاط [q. v.] of the heart, also called the أَكْحَل.
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