خَلَاءٌ
1.
is primarily a verbal noun (MF, TA. [See 1, first sentence.])
2.
[Then it is used as an epithet, synonym with خَالٍ:] see خَالٍ, in five places.
3.
Then it is used [as a subst.] in the sense of A vacant place [in a general sense]: (MF, TA:) or a place in which is nothing: (S, K:) [often applied in the present day to any open tract of country or desert:] and then, particularly, such as one takes for the purpose of satisfying a want of nature; (MF, TA;) i. q.
مُتَوَضَّأٌ, (S, Msb, K,) but not as meaning only a place for the performance of
الوُضُوء, as might be imagined from this explanation: plural أَخْلِيَةٌ. (MF, TA.) It is said in a prov., (S, Meyd,) خَلَاوءُكَ أَقْنَى لِحَيَايءِكَ, (S, Meyd, K,) [in Freytag's Arab. Prov., (i. 436,) بِحَيَايِكَ,] i. e. [Thy place of retirement is] most preservative (أَلْزَمُ) [of thy sense of shame, or modesty]; meaning it is most fit for thee to be alone in thine abode; (S, * Meyd;) for he who is so needs not to be careful for his shame, or modesty: it is used in blaming the mixing with others. (Meyd.) حُصِرَ عَلَيْهِ خَلَاوءُهُ [His place of retirement for satisfying a want of nature was straitened to him] is used as meaning he suffered suppression of the feces, or constipation of the bowels. (Ibn-Buzurj, TA in article حصر.)
4.
إِنَّهُ
لَحْلُو الخَلَاءِ, (TA,) or [as written in a verse in which it occurs in the TA in the present article, and in article خلى,] الخَلَا, (JK, TA,) [without ء, but whether this be the right reading, or only required by poetic license, seems to be doubtful,] is a phrase mentioned by Th, (TA,) meaning Verily he is good in speech. (JK, TA. [If the former reading be right, the meaning may be similar to that of سَهْلُ الخَلْوَةِ, mentioned above: if the latter only, or rather انّه لحلو الخَلَى, be right, it probably belongs to article خلىٍ, and is tropical, from the herbage termed خَلى; and this may also be the case if the former reading be right.])