سَرَفْ

verbal noun of سَرِفَ [q. v.]. (S, * M, Msb, K. *)

And also a subst. from أَسْرَفَ; (Msb;) i. q. إِسْرَافٌ; (M;) signifying Excess, or transgression, of the just, or right, bound, or limit, or measure; extravagant, exorbitant, or immoderate, action or conduct; (M, Msb, TA;) opposite of قَصْدٌ. (S, K.) See also 4, in two places.

[Hence,] (tropical:) The overflowing of water from the sides of a watering-trough, or tank; as in the saying, ذَهَبَ مَاءُ الحَوْضِ سَرَفًا (tropical:) The water of the watering-trough, or tank, [went away running to waste, or] overflowed from its sides: (K, TA:) or سَرَفُ المَاءِ means (assumed tropical:) what goes, of water, without irrigating and without profit: [or rather its going for nought:] you say, أَرْوَتِ البِيءْرُ النَّخِيلَ وَذَهَبَ بَقِيَّةُ المَاءِ سَرَفًا (assumed tropical:) [The well irrigated the palmtrees, and the rest of the water went for nought, in waste]. (Sh, TA.)

And Addictedness (ضَرَاوَةٌ, S, K, or لَهَجٌ M) to a thing, (M,) or in respect of wine. (K, TA.) It is said in a tradition (S, M) of 'Áïsheh, (TA,) إِنَّ لِلَّحْمِ سَرَفًا كَسَرَفِ الخَمْرِ [Verily there is an addictedness to flesh-meat like the addictedness to wine]: (S, M, TA:) i. e. he who is accustomed to it is addicted to the eating thereof, like as he who is constantly drinking wine is addicted thereto, having little selfrestraint therefrom: or the meaning here is unmindfulness [of consequences with respect to flesh-meat &c.]: or corruptness of conduct, arising from hardness of heart, and daringness to disobey, and self-impulsion to the gratification of appetite: (TA:) or it may be [that the meaning is, there is an extravagance with respect to flesh-meat &c.,] from الإِسْرَافُ (S, TA) in expenditure for that which is not needed, or otherwise than in obedience [to the law of God]. (TA.)

It is also said in a tradition, لَا يَنْتَهِبُ الرَّجُلُ نُهْبَةً ذَاتَ سَرَفٍ وَهُوَ مُوءْمِنٌ, meaning, ذَاتَ شَرَفٍ وَقَدْرٍ كَبِيرٍ [i. e. The man shall not take a thing as spoil that is of high and great estimation, he being a believer]: (K, TA:) [for] people disapprove of that: (TA:) and it is also related with ش [i. e. ذات شَرَفٍ]. (K.)