فَلْكَةٌ

The whirl of a spindle: (MA:) [this is what is meant by the saying that] the فَلْكَة of the مِغْزَل is well known; (K;) [and] is thus called because of its roundness: (S, O:) [it is a piece of wood, generally of a hemispherical form, or nearly so, through the middle of which the upper part of the spindle-pin is inserted:] also pronounced ↓ فِلْكَة: (O, K:) the plural [of the former] is ↓ فَلَكٌ [or rather this is a quasi-plural n.] and [that of the latter singular is] فِلَكٌ. (TA.)

And A thing that is made round, or hemispherical, (↓ يُفَلَّكُ, or ↓ يُفْلَكُ, according to different copies of the K,) like the فَلْكَة of the spindle, of coarse hair (هُلْب), then the tongue of the young unweaned camel is perforated, [and this thing is inserted into it, (see 2, and see also 4 in article لهج,)] in order that he may be prevented from sucking. (K. [For فتَخْرِقُ لِسانُ الفَصِيلِ in the CK, I read فَيُخْرَقُ لِسَانُ الفَصِيلِ, as in other copies of the K and in the TA: after these words, the copies of the K have فَيُعْضَدُ بِهِ, app a mistranscription for some phrase meaning فَيُجْعَلُ فِيهِ, which is necessary to complete the explanation.])

And An [eminence such as is termed] أَكَمَهٌ [formed] of one mass of stone; (K, TA;) according to ISh, [of] the smaller of the [eminences termed] إِكَام, compact in its head, as though this were the فَلْكَة of a spindle, not giving growth to anything, in height of the measure of two spears or a spear and a half. (TA.)

See also فلَكٌ, near the end, in two places.

Also Anything circular, (K.)

And [particularly] The joint [or cartilaginous disk] between the two vertebræ [i. e. between any one of the vertebrœ and that next to it] of the camel: (K, TA:) and the plural [or rather quasi-plural n.] thereof, in this sense and in the last two of the sense following, is ↓ فَلَكٌ. (TA.)

[And The cap of the knee; (see فَلِكٌ;) فَلْكَةُ الرُّكْبَةِ signifying the patella: so in the present day.]

And The small thing (الهَنَةُ [apparently the foramen cæcum, from its round form, for, though the TA adds the epithet النَّاشِيءَةُ, which means “ rising, ” I think that this addition may be conjectural,]) upon the head of the root of the tongue. (K.)

And The side of the [portion of the breast called the] زَوْر [q. v.], and the part thereof that is round, or circular. (K. [K. [But see بَلْدَةٌ: where it is said that “ the فَلَك of the زَوْر of a horse are six in number: ” what they are I have been unable to determine: I incline to think that they may be spiral curls, such as are termed دَوَايءِر, plural of دَايءِرَةٌ.])