زَحْف

1 zaHafa * , aor. zaHafa , inf. n. zaHofN (S, Mgh, Msb, K) and zuHuwfN (Msb, K) and zaHafaAnN , (K,) He, or it, (an army, Mgh, Msb, * or a company of men, Msb) walked, marched, or went on foot, A_ilayohi [ to him, or it ]; (S, K;) and [generally] did so by little and little; (accord. to an explanation of zaHofN in the TA;) crept, or crawled, along; or went, or walked, leisurely, or gently: (Mgh:) and ↓ tzH~f A_ilayohi , (S, K,) as also ↓ AzdHf , (K,) i. q. tm$~Y , (S, K,) i. e. he walked [ with slow steps, or] heavily, with an effort, to him, or it: (TK:) and mi$oyapu zaHafaAnK means a gait in which is a heaviness of motion. (TA.) One says of a child, before he walks, (S, Msb, K,) or before he stands, (T, TA,) yazoHafu [ He drags himself along ] (S, Msb, K) EalaY AlA^aroDi [ upon the ground ], or EalaY A@sotihi [ upon his posteriors ]: (TA:) or zaHafa alone, said of a child, he went along slowly, by little and little, upon his posteriors: (Bd in viii. 15:) and to the zaHof of children is likened the marching of two bodies of men going to meet each other for fight, when each of them marches gently, or leisurely, towards the other, before they draw near together to smite each other: and one says likewise of a child, before he walks, EalaY ↓ yatazaH~afu AlA^aroDi , or, as in the T, EalaY baTonihi , i. e. he drags himself along [ upon the ground, or upon his belly ]. (TA.) ― -b2- zaHafa Ald~abaA [ The young locusts not yet winged ] went on, or forwards: (S, O, K:) ma$aY in this explanation in the K should be maDaY , as in the S and A. (TA.) ― -b3- zaHafa said of an arrow, (assumed tropical:) It fell short of the butt, and then slid along to it. (S, * Msb.) ― -b4- Also, said of a camel, (S, Mgh, Msb, K,) aor. zaHafa , inf. n. zaHofN and zuHuwfN , and zaHafaAnN , (TA,) He became fatigued, and dragged his foot, or the extremity of his foot; (S, Mgh, Msb, K;) as also ↓ A^azoHafu : (S, Mgh, Msb:) or this latter signifies he (a camel) became fatigued, (K, TA,) and stood still with his master: and raAHilatuhu mina AlA_iEoyaA='i ↓ A^azoHafato His saddle-camel stood still from fatigue: or, accord. to El-Khattábee, correctly, A^uzoHifato Ealayohi : (TA:) or this is a mistake, occurring in the Fáïk; and it is correctly with fet-h: (Mgh:) and accord. to the T, zaHafa signifies he (a camel) became fatigued, so that he stood still with his master: (TA:) or, as some say, zaHafa said of one walking, or marching, [i. e., of a man and of a beast,] (Msb, TA,) accord. to AZ, whether fat or lean, (Msb,) aor. zaHafa , inf. n. zaHofN and zaHafaAnN , or, as AZ says, zaHofN and zuHuwfN , (TA,) signifies, (Msb,) or signifies also, (TA,) he became fatigued, (Msb, TA,) in walking, or marching. (TA.) ― -b5- And zaHafa Al$~ajaru (tropical:) The trees became in a state of gentle motion, by the influence of the wind. (TA.) -A2- zaHafa Al$~aYo'a , inf. n. zaHofN , He dragged the thing along gently. (TA.)

zaHofN * An army, or a military force, marching by little and little, or leisurely, to, or towards, the enemy, (S, A, K, TA,) or heavily, by reason of their multitude and force: (A, TA:) or a numerous army or military force; an inf. n. used as a subst.; (Mgh, Msb;) because, by reason of its multitude, and heaviness of motion, it is as though it crept, or crawled, along: (Mgh:) accord. to Az, from zaHafa EalaY A@sotihi , said of a child: (TA:) not applied to a single individual: (IKoot, Msb:) pl. zuHuwfN . (Msb, TA.) ― -b2- And hence, as being likened thereto, (tropical:) A swarm of locusts. (TA.) ― -b3- far~a mina Alz~aHofi , occurring in a trad., means He fled from war with unbelievers; and from encountering the enemy in war. (TA.) ― -b4- A_i*aA laqiytumu A@l~a*iyna kafaruwA zaHofFA , in the Kur [viii. 15], means, accord. to Zj, zaAHifiyna , i. e. [ When ye meet those who have disbelieved ] marching by little and little [in consequence of their great number, to attack you]. (TA.)