خَطْفَة

xaTofapN xTf xTfh xTfp A single act of seizing; or, of taking, or carrying off, by force: (TA:) or, of doing so quickly; of snatching away. (Mgh, Msb, TA.) Hence, [in a trad.,] accord. to one reading, nahaY Eano kul~i *iY xaTofapK , meaning He prohibited the prey of whatever snatches away the prey, and goes away with it, not withholding it for its owner: or, as some say, what snatches away with its talon, or claw: but the reading commonly known is, nahaY Eani AlxaTofapi : (Mgh:) and AlxaTofapu signifies what the wolf, (Mgh, Msb, TA,) or the like, (Msb,) snatches away, (Mgh, Msb, TA,) of the limbs, or members, of a living sheep or goat, (Mgh, TA,) or of a living animal; (Msb;) or what the dog snatches away from the limbs, or members, of the animal of the chase, of flesh &c., while the animal is alive: (Mgh, TA:) or the limb, or member, which the beast or bird of prey seizes, or carries off by force, or which a man cuts off, from the beast that is alive: (K, TA:) for whatever is separated from the living animal, (Mgh, TA,) of flesh or fat, (TA,) is carrion, (Mgh, TA,) unlawful to be eaten: the prohibition originated from the Prophet's finding, when he came to El-Medeeneh, that the people loved and ate the humps of camels and the tails of sheep: (TA:) the reading AlxaTafap , of the measure faEalap , with fet-h to the medial radical letter, as pl. of xaATifN , is a mistake. (Mgh.) ― -b2- Also (assumed tropical:) A single suck of a small quantity of milk quickly taken by a child from the breast. (TA.) ― -b3- For its meaning in the Kur xxxvii. 10, see 1. ― -b4- See also xuTofN .