فَخِذٌ

and فَخْذٌ (S, O, L, Msb, K) and فِخْذٌ (S, O, L, K) and فِخِذٌ, (L, TA,) as Ez-Zarkashee says in his Expos. of El-Bukháree, (TA,) for in the case of every faucial medial radical of a word of the measure فَعِل, whether a noun like فَخِذٌ or a verb like شَهِدَ, there are four dialect vars., namely, فَعِل and فَعْل and فِعْل and فِعِل; (Seer, O, TA;) thus it is said in the Tes-heel of Ibn-Málik; and MF says that the first three forms are common to every word of the measure of كَتِف though without a faucial letter; (TA;) The thigh; i. e. the limb (وصل [i. e. وُِصْل, but in the O written وَصْل,]) between the سَاق and the وَرِك; (Mgh, * O, L, K; *) so says Lth; (O;) and in this sense, the first of the forms above mentioned is the most chaste: (MF:) it is of the feminine gender: (Mgh, O, L, Msb, K:) plural أَفْخَاذٌ, (Sb, L, Msb, K,) the only plural form. (Sb, L.)

Also (tropical:) A small sub-tribe, or portion of the tribe, consisting of the nearest of the kinsfolk of a man; (Kh, A, * O, L, K; *) less than a بَطْن; the first [i. e. largest] body being the شَعْب, then the قَبِيلَة, then the فَصِيلَة, then the عِمَارَة, then the بَطْن, and then the فَخِْذ: (S, O, L:) or it is below the قَبِيلَة but above the بَطْن; and is pronounced with the خ quiescent: (IDrd, O:) or below the فَصِيلَة but above the بَطْن: (Msb:) or below the بَطْن and above the فَصِيلَة: (Mgh, Msb:) this last, according to IB and Aboo-Usámeh, is the true order; (TA voce شعب, q. v.;) and AM says that the فَصِيلَة is nearer than the فخذ: (L:) in this sense, the second of the forms above mentioned is the most chaste: (MF:) and in this sense it is of the masculine gender; (A, Mgh, O, Msb;) because meaning نَفَرٌ; (Msb;) wherefore you say, هٰذَا فَخْذِى: (A:) plural as above. (A, O, L, K.)

حُلِبَتِ النَّاقَةُ فِى فَخِذِهَا is a phrase mentioned by Fr, meaning (assumed tropical:) [The she-camel was milked] in her half-month [apparently at the period commencing half a month after her parturition]. (O.)