خِرْوعٌ

Any weak, bending plant, of whatever kind it be: (As, S:) any plant weak, or fragile, (قَصِيف,) and sappy, whether it be a tree or a herb: (TA:) a plant weak by reason of its softness, or tenderness, and sappiness. (Sgh.) [See also خَرِعٌ.]

Hence, as some say, (TA,) [The ricinus communis; common palma Christi; or castor-oil-plant;] a certain plant, (S, Msb, K,) well known, (S,) soft, tender, or pliant, (Msb,) not serving for pasturage, (K,) bearing a berry resembling sparrows' eggs, called السِّمْسِمُ الهِنْدِىُّ; accord to Ibn-Jezleh, the best thereof is that called البَحْرِىُّ; it has the property of loosening phlegm, and it is useful for counteracting the colic and palsy and the [disease in the face called] لَقْوَة, the dose extending to a مِثْقَال. (TA.) The word is of the measure فِعْوَلٌ; (Msb;) and J says [in the S] that there is no other word of the same measure except عِتْوَدٌ, which is the name of a certain valley; but to this have been added ذِرْوَدٌ, the name of a certain mountain; and عِتْوَرٌ, the name of a certain valley, and not a mistranscription of عِتْوَدٌ; and جِدْوَلٌ, a dialect var. of جَدْوَلٌ. (TA.)

[Hence also] اِمْرَأَةٌ خِرْوَعَةٌ A beautiful, and soft, or tender, woman: and [the plural] خَرَاوِيعُ, applied to women, signifies [the same, or merely] beautiful. (TA.)

And خِرْوَعٌ is likewise applied to youth, or youthfulness, and to life, meaning (tropical:) Soft, or delicate. (TA.)