Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon

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طَائِفَةٌ

Root: طوف

Full Definition

طَائِفَةٌ A detached, or distinct, part or portion; a piece, or bit; [or somewhat;] of a thing: and a فِرْقَة of men [i. e. a party, portion, division, or class, thereof; as those of one profession or trade: a body, or distinct community: a sect: a corps: and sometimes a people, or nation]: and a company, or congregated body, of men, at least consisting of three; and sometimes applied to one; and two: or one: and more than one: so, accord. to I' Ab, in the Kur xxiv. 2: or up to a thousand: or at least two men: or one man; as is said also on the authority of Mujáhid; so that it is syn. with نَفْسٌ [as meaning a single person, or an individual]: [and sometimes it is applied to a distinct number, or herd &c., of animals:] Er-Rághib says that when a plural or collective number is meant thereby, it is [what lexicologists term] a pl. of طَائِفٌ; and when one is meant thereby, it may be a pl. metonymically used as a sing., or it may be considered as of the class of رَاوِيَةٌ and عَلَّامَةٌ and the like: [pl. طَوَائِفُ.]
2 See also طَائِفٌ, last sentence but one.
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