طُوفَانٌ

An overpowering rain: and overpowering water, [a meaning erroneously assigned in the CK to طَوَّاف instead of طُوفَان,] that covers [or overwhelms] everything; (S, K, TA;) in the common conventional acceptation, water abounding to the utmost degree; [i. e. a flood, or deluge;] such as befell the people of Noah; (TA;) or طُوفَانُ المَاءِ signifies the water that covers [or overwhelms] everything: (Msb:) and a drowning torrent: (K:) and (assumed tropical:) much of anything, [like as we say a flood of anything,] such as includes the generality of persons, or things, within its compass: (K, TA:) and particularly (assumed tropical:) death; or quick, or quick and wide-spreading, death; or death commonly, or generally, prevailing; (TA;) or quick, or quick and wide-spreading, death, commonly, or generally, prevailing: and (assumed tropical:) quick [and extensive] slaughter: (K:) and (assumed tropical:) any accident [or evil accident] that besets a man: and (assumed tropical:) trial, or affliction: (TA:) and El-'Ajjáj likens to the rain, or water, thus called, the darkness of night; using the phrase طُوفَانُ الظَّلَامِ; (Kh, S;) by which he means (assumed tropical:) the intensity of the darkness of the night: (TA:) طُوفَانٌ is said to be a plural [or coll. gen. n.]; (Msb, TA;) and its singular [or n. un.] is طُوفَانَةٌ, (S, Msb, K, TA,) according to analogy: (S:) thus says Akh: (S, TA:) or it is a verbal noun, like رُجْحَانٌ and نُقْصَانٌ; and is from طَافَ, aorist يَطُوفُ: (Msb, TA:) thus says Abu-l- 'Abbás; and he says that there is no need of seeking for it a singular: some say that it is of the measure فُلْعَانٌ, from طَفَا المَاءُ, aorist يَطْفُو, meaning “ the water rose, ” or “ became high; ” the ل being transposed to the place of the ع; but this is strange. (TA.)