أسْفَى
1.
applied to a horse, (As, S, M, Mgh,) Light, thin, or scanty, in the hair of the forelock: (As, S, M, Mgh, K:) or short and scanty therein: feminine سَفْوَاءُ: (M:) [and according to some, it seems to be in like manner applied to a mule and an ass: (see سَفًا:)] one says فَرَسٌ أَسْفَى and بَغْلَةٌ سَفْوَاءُ: (Mgh:) [or,] according to As, أَسْفَى in the sense first explained above is not applied to anything but a horse: applied to a mule, it means (assumed tropical:) quick, or swift: (S:) or بَغْلَةٌ سَفْوَاءُ signifies (tropical:) a she-mule that is quick, or swift, (S, M, A, K, TA,) like the wind, (A, TA,) active, or light, (S,) of middling make, compact and strong in the back; (M, TA;) and in like manner سَفْوَاءُ is applied to a wild she-ass. (M.)
2.
Accord. to IAar, الأَسْفَى applied to the horse signifies اَلَّذِي تَنْزِعُهُ شَعَرَةٌ بَيْضَاءُ [apparently meaning Distinguished by some white hairs, though I find no authority for thus rendering the verb here used] whether he be bay or of some other colour: or having that whiteness of the hair which is termed
سَفًا [explained above], which is particularly said by him in one place to be in such as is termed أَدْهَم, and such as is أَشْقَر: and the feminine in this sense also is as above. (M.)
3.