طَفَا

Form: 1

Full Definition

طَفَاI , Present.T يَطْفُو, Verbal.Noun طُفُوٌّ and طَفْوٌ, It floated upon the water, and did not sink.
2 [Hence,] one says, الظُّعُنُ تَطْفُو وَتَرْسُبُ فِى السَّرَابِ [The women's camel-vehicles appear, as though floating, and disappear, as though sinking, in the mirage].
3 And طَفَتِ الخُوصَةُ فَوْقَ الشَّجَرِ [The leaf of the date-palm, or of the Theban palm, &c.,] appeared [above the trees].
4 And طَفَا said of a bull, or of a wild bull, He mounted upon the hills and upon the sands. (TA. [In the CK, على الاَكَمِ is erroneously put for عَلَا الأَكَمَ.])
5 And طَفَوْتُ فَوْقَهُ I leaped upon it. The saying عَبْدٌ إِذَا مَا رَسَبَ القَوْمُ طَفَا is expl. by IAar as meaning [A slave] who, when the people are grave, leaps by reason of his ignorance.
6 And طَفَا المَآءُ [not a mistranscription for طَغَا] The water rose, or became high. (TA voce طُوفَانٌ, q. v.)
7 And طَفَا said of a gazelle, He ran vehemently. One says of a gazelle, مَرَّ يَطْفُو, meaning He passed by, or along, or away, going lightly, or briskly, upon the ground, and running vehemently.
8 And, said of a man, by way of comparison [to a floating fish], He died.
9 And He entered into [or upon] an affair: [or,] accord. to the “ Nawádir, ” one says, طَفَا فِى الأَرْضِ he entered into the earth, either وَاغِلًا [app. as meaning penetrating, and becoming concealed], or رَاسِخًا [app. as meaning becoming firmly fixed therein].

def.2 [طَفَا is made trans. by means of بِ: see an ex. voce أَرْسَبَ.]

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