طَايءِفَةٌ
1.
A detached, or distinct, part or portion; a piece, or bit; [or somewhat;] of a thing: (S, Msb, K:) and a
فِرْقَة of men [i. e. a party, portion, division, or class, thereof; as those of one profession or trade: a body, or distinct community: a sect: a corps: and sometimes a people, or nation]: (Msb:) and a company, or congregated body, (Msb, KL,) of men, at least consisting of three; and sometimes applied to one; and two: (Msb:) or one: and more than one: (S, K:) so, according to I' Ab, in the Qur'an, 24:2: (S:) or up to a thousand: (Mujáhid, K:) or at least two men: ('Atà, K:) or one man; (K;) as is said also on the authority of Mujáhid; (TA;) so that it is synonym with نَفْسٌ [as meaning a single person, or an individual]: (K:) [and sometimes it is applied to a distinct number, or herd &c., of animals:] Er-Rághib says that when a plural or collective number is meant thereby, it is [what lexicologists term] a plural of طَايءِفٌ; and when one is meant thereby, it may be a plural metonymically used as a singular, or it may be considered as of the class of رَاوِيَةٌ and عَلَّامَةٌ and the like: (TA:) [plural طَوَايءِفُ.]
2.
See also طَايءِفٌ, last sentence but one.