جَفْنَةٌ
1.
A [bowl of the kind called] قَصْعَة: (K:) or like a
قصعة: (S:) the largest kind of
قصعة; (Ks, S in article صحف, M;) next to which is the
قصعة [properly so called], which satisfies the hunger of ten [men]; then, the صَحْفَة, which satisfies five; then, the مِيءْكَلَة, which satisfies two men, and three; then, the صُحَيْفَة, which satisfies one man: (Ks, S in article صحف:) it is peculiarly applied to a receptacle for kinds of food: (Er-Rághib, TA:) plural [of mult.] جَفَانٌ (S, Msb, K) and جِفَنٌ (Sb, TA) and (of pauc., TA) جَفَنَاتٌ (S, Msb, K.) [Hence,] كُفِيءَتْ جَفْنَتُهُ [His bowl was turned upside-down; meaning] (tropical:) he was slain; a phrase similar to هُرِيقَ رِفْدُهُ. (A in article رفد.)
2.
(assumed tropical:) A small well; (K;) as being likened to the جفنة for food. (Er- Rághib, TA.)
3.
(tropical:) A generous man: (K:) جَفْنَةٌ غَرَّاءُ is an appellation applied to a generous man who entertains many guests and feeds many: (IAar, TA:) he is called جفنة because people are fed in the جفنة, and the epithet غرّاء is added because of the whiteness of the camel's hump in the جفنة. (TA.)