طوف

طَائِفَةٌ ذ A detached, or distinct, part or portion; a piece, or bit; [or somewhat; ] of a thing: (S, Msb, K:) and a فِرْقَة of men [i. e. a party, portion, division, or class, thereof; as those of one profession or trade: a body, or distinct community: a sect: a corps: and sometimes a people, or nation ]: (Msb:) and a company, or congregated body, (Msb, KL,) of men, at least consisting of three; and sometimes applied to one; and two: (Msb:) or one: and more than one: (S, K:) so, accord. to I' Ab, in the Kur xxiv. 2: (S:) or up to a thousand: (Mujáhid, K:) or at least two men: ('Atà, K:) or one man; (K;) as is said also on the authority of Mujáhid; (TA;) so that it is syn. with نَفْسٌ [as meaning a single person, or an individual ]: (K:) [and sometimes it is applied to a distinct number, or herd &c., of animals:] Er-Rághib says that when a plural or collective number is meant thereby, it is [what lexicologists term] a pl. of طَائِفٌ; and when one is meant thereby, it may be a pl. metonymically used as a sing., or it may be considered as of the class of رَاوِيَةٌ and عَلَّامَةٌ and the like: (TA:) [pl. طَوَائِفُ.] ― -b2- See also طَائِفٌ, last sentence but one.