طُحَنٌ

A certain small creeping thing, (دُوَيْبَّةٌ, S, K, TA,) in form like [the species of lizard, or reptile, called] أُمّ حُبَيْن, [see article حبن,] but more slender (أَلْطَفُ) than this latter, that raises its tail like as does the pregnant camel, and, when bidden to grind, by the children of the Arabs of the desert, grinds with itself the ground until it becomes concealed in the soft soil; and one never sees it but in a tract of ground such as is termed بَلُّوقَة: Az says that ↓ طُحَنَةٌ signifies a certain small creeping thing (دويبّة) like the [beetle called] جُعَل; and that طُحَنٌ is the plural: [but, properly speaking, the latter is a coll. gen. n., and the former is the n. un.:] As says that it is [a creature] smaller than the hedge-hog, that comes into existence in the sands, appearing sometimes, and turning round as though grinding, and then diving [into the sand]: (TA: [see also عَوَانَةٌ:]) and, (K,) according to Aboo-Kheyreh, (TA,) the طُحَن is what is called لَيْثُ عِفِرِّينَ [q. v. in article عفر], (K, TA, in the CK لَيْثُ عِفْرِينَ,) resembling the pistachio-nut, in colour like the dust, that buries itself in the earth. (TA.)

[Hence, apparently,] Short: (K:) [or] according to Zj, ↓ طُحَنَةٌ signifies short, having in him لُوثَة [apparently meaning stupidity, or the like]; and IB says that he who is tall, having in him لوثة, is termed عُسْقُدٌ: (TA:) according to IAar, short in the utmost degree: (Az, TA:) according to IKh, the shortest of the short; and the tallest of the tall is termed سَمَرْ طُولٌ. (TA.)