سَنَفَ البَعِيرَ

, aorist سَنِفَ and سَنُفَ , (S, M, K,) verbal noun سَنْفٌ; (M, K;) and اسنقهُ; (S, * M, K;) or, according to As, the latter only; (S;) He bound the سِنَاف [q. v.] upon the camel: (S, M, K:) and the latter, he put to him (i. e. the camel), or made for him, a سِنَاف; (K, TA;) thus explained by El-'Ozeyzee. (TA.) [Hence, according to some,] one says, in a prov., of a person confounded or perplexed, and unable to see his right course, in his affair, عَىَّ بِالإِسْنَافِ, (S, Meyd,) meaning He was confounded, or perplexed, and unable to see his right course, by reason of fright, like him who knows not where to bind the سِنَاف: (Z, TA:) it originated from the fact of a man's being thus confounded, or perplexed: (Meyd:) a poet says, (namely, Ibn-Kulthoom, TA,)

إِذَا مَا عَىَّ بِالإِسْنَافِ قَوْمٌ

مِنَ الأَمْرِ المُشَبَّهِ أَنْ يَكُونَا

[as though meaning When a people are unable to find the right way to bind the سناف, in consequence of the affair that is uncertain to be: (thus related by Meyd; but in the TA with حَىٌّ in the place of قوم, and عَلَى in the place of من:)] Az, however, says that this is not the meaning: that الاسناف here signifies the advancing, or preceding; and that the meaning is, are unable to find the right way of advancing, or preceding; (Meyd, TA;) from أَسْنَفَ said of a horse, explained below. (TA.)