خَسْفٌ

[a verbal noun of 1: and hence several of the significations here following.] Deep places in the ground (عُمُوقُ ظَاهِرِ الأَرْضِ; in the CK عُمُوقُ ماءِ الارضِ); as also ↓ خُسْفٌ. (K, TA.)

The place whence the water of a well issues. (AZ, S, K.) In the following saying of Sá'ideh El-Hudhalee,

أَلَا يَا فَتَى مَا عَبْدُ شَمْسٍ بِمِثْلِهِ

يُبَلُّ عَلَى العَادِى وَ تُوءْبِى المَخَاسِفُ

the last word is plural of خَسْفٌ [apparently as signifying A source of water], after the manner of مَشَابِهُ and مَلَامِحُ: (TA:) the meaning is, [Truly, O young man, what is 'Abd-Shems? i. e.] how great a person is 'Abd-Shems! by the like of him the enemy is overcome [and the sources of water become difficult of access]. (M in article بل.)

A cloud, or collection of clouds, that has risen and appeared from the direction of the extreme west, [as North-western Africa is called by the Arabs,] from [the quarter of] the right of the Kibleh [to one who is on the north-east of Mekkeh, towards El-'Irák]: (Lth, K:) or it signifies, (JK, TA,) [and] so ↓ خِسْفٌ and ↓ خَسِيفٌ, (K,) a cloud, or collection of clouds, that has risen and appeared مِنْ قِبَلِ العَيْنِ, bearing much water; (JK, K, TA;) i. e., from [the quarter of] the right of the Kibleh [as explained above]. (TA.)

-A2- (tropical:) Deficiency, or imperfection; a fault; or a low, or base, quality; (S, K, TA;) as also ↓ خَسِيفَةٌ. (TA.) One says, رَضِىَ فُلَانٌ بِالخَسْفِ (tropical:) Such a one was content with deficiency, or imperfection; &c. (S, TA.)

(assumed tropical:) Leanness, or emaciation; (TA;) as also ↓ خَسِيفَةٌ. (JK.)

[See also 1, last sentence.

Hence,] بَاتَ القَوْمُ عَلَى الخَسْفِ (tropical:) The party passed the night in a state of hunger, not having anything wherewith to feed themselves: (TA:) and بَاتَ فُلَانٌ الخَسْفَ (tropical:) Such a one passed the night hungry: (S, K, TA:) and شَرِبْنَا عَلَىٰ الخَسْفِ (tropical:) We drank without eating. (IAar, IDrd, K, TA.) A poet says,

بَتْنَا عَلَى الخَسْفِ لَا رِسْلٌ نُقَاتُ بِهِ

حَتَّى جَعَلْنَا حِبَالَ الرَّحْلِ فُصْلَانَا

[We passed the night in a state of hunger: there was no milk wherewith we might be fed, until we made the ropes of the camel's saddle to serve as young camels]: i. e. we had no food until we bound the she-camels with ropes in order that they might yield us milk [as though they had young ones to suckle], and we might feed ourselves with their milk. (O, TA.) [See also another example, in a verse of Dhu-r-Rummeh, cited voce إِلَّا, p. 78.]

[Hence, also,] سَامَهُ خَسْفًا and ↓ خُسْفًا, (S, K,) and سَامَهُ الخَسْفَ, (S, Msb,) (tropical:) He brought upon him abasement, or ignominy: (S, Msb, K:) or he required, or constrained, him to do an affair of difficulty; and to become in a state of abasement, or ignominy. (S, TA.) [See also two similar phrases voce خُطَّةٌ.]

[And hence,] خَسْفٌ signifies also (assumed tropical:) Wrong, wrongdoing, injustice, injuriousness, or tyranny. (TA.) [And سَامَهُ خَسْفًا, or الخَسْفَ, sometimes means (assumed tropical:) He brought upon him wrong, &c.]

-A3- See also the next paragraph.