عَلَفٌ

is for beasts, or horses and the like; (S, O;) a word of well-known meaning; (K;) i. e. Fodder, or provender for beasts; (KL;) food of cattle, or of animals, (TA,) or of quadrupeds; (MA;) food with which the beast is fed (Mgh, Msb *) in the مِعْلَف [or manger]: (Mgh:) according to ISh, applied to herbs, or leguminous plants, both fresh and dry: (TA voce حَشِيشٌ:) said by ISd to be the قَضِيم [generally meaning barley] of the beast: (TA in the present article:) [see also عَلُوفَةٌ:] plural [of mult.] عِلَافٌ (S, O, Msb, K) and عُلُوفَةٌ (Mgh, O, K) and [of pauc.] أَعْلَافٌ. (O, K.) See also عَلَفَةٌ.

[Hence,] one says, هُمْ عَلَفُ السِّلَاحِ وَجَزَرُ السِّبَاعِ (assumed tropical:) [They are the provender of the weapons, and the flesh that is food of the beasts, or birds, of prey]. (TA.)