ظرف

ظَرْفٌ ذ A receptacle (Lth, T, S, M, Mgh, O, Msb, K) of anything; (Lth, T, M;) [ a vessel, or vase; ] an اـِبْرِيق is thus termed as being a ظرف for what is in it: (Lth, T, TA:) and AHn applies it to a seed-vessel, or pericarp, or a cell of a pericarp: (M, TA:) [and it is also applied to a case, or cover, for a book or the like:] the pl. is ظُرُوفٌ: (T, S, * M, Mgh, O, Msb, K:) أَظْرَافٌ is a mistake. (Mgh.) [Applying it to a vessel of silver,] Har uses it as meaning “ silver. ” (P. 614 [referring to a phrase in p. 213].) One says, أَخَذْتُ المَتَاعَ بِظَرْفِهِ [ I took the goods with the receptacle thereof ]. (A, TA.) And hence, (A, TA,) رَأَيْتُهُ بِظَرْفِهِ (tropical:) I saw him himself. (A, O, K, TA.) And هُوَ نَقِىُّ الظَّرْفِ (tropical:) He is faithful, (O, K, TA,) not treacherous. (M, O, K, TA.) ― -b2- And hence (assumed tropical:) [ An adverbial noun of place or of time, implying the meaning of the preposition فى; and also by some applied to a noun of place or of time together with that preposition; i. e.] what are termed ظَرْفُ المَكَانِ and الزَّمَانِ, (O,) pl. ظُرُوفُ الزَّمَانِ and المَكَانِ: (S, M: *) the descriptive terms that denote the places [or times] of things are called ظُرُوفٌ: (Lth, T:) they are thus termed by Kh; and by Ks, مَحَالُّ; and by Fr, صِفَاتٌ. (T.) ― -b3- Also [ Excellence, or elegance, in mind, manners, and address or speech; and in person, countenance, or garb, guise, or external appearance; or all of these qualities combined: ] a term denoting a condition that combines the generality of mental and bodily and extrinsic excellences; likened [by reason of its comprehensiveness] to the receptacle thus called: (Er-Rághib, TA:) or cleverness, ingeniousness, intelligence, or acuteness in intellect; syn. كِيَاسَةٌ, (S, O, K,) or كَيْسٌ, (Mgh, Msb,) and ذَكَاآءٌ: (Mgh:) or i. q. بَرَاعَةٌ, and ذَكَاآءُ قَلْبٍ; [the former meaning excellence in knowledge, or other qualities; or accomplishment, or perfection, in every excellence, and in goodliness; ] ('Eyn, M, O, Msb, K; *) thus accord. to most of the copies of the K [as well as the 'Eyn and M and O and Msb], but correctly بَزَاعَة, with the letter زاى: (TA:) [if so, these two explanations (بَزَاعَةٌ and ذَكَاآءُ قَلْبٍ) add nothing to others here given:] or skilfulness (M, K, TA) in a thing (M, TA) is thus termed by the people of El-Yemen: (TA:) or it is in the tongue, (IAar, T, K,) only; (K;) meaning beauty of expression, (M, L, TA,) and eloquence; (L, TA;) and حَلَاوَةٌ is in the eyes, and مَلَاحَةٌ is in the mouth, and جَمَالٌ is in the nose: (IAar, T:) or beauty of garb, guise, or external appearance: (M:) or beauty of face, and of garb, guise, or external appearance: (O, K:) or it is in the face and in the tongue: (Ks, O, K:) or goodliness, or beauty; and أَدَب [as having the meaning first assigned to ظَرْفٌ in this sentence, i. e. excellence, or elegance, in mind, manners, or address or speech; or as meaning good breeding, good manners, politeness, or polite accomplishments ]: (Msb:) or, as an inf. n., the being elegant, graceful, or beautiful: and the being intelligent, sagacious, or acute in intellect: (KL:) accord. to the author of the 'Eyn, (O,) it is only an attribute of young men and young women (M, O, Msb, * K) that are acute in intellect, clever, or skilful; (M, O, K;) not of elders, nor of lords, or chiefs: (M, K:) but as meaning كِيْسٌ, it is common to young persons and elders: (Msb:) some of those who affect distinctness of speech by twisting the sides of the mouth say that the word is ↓ ظُرْفٌ, with damm, to distinguish it from ظَرْفٌ meaning “ a receptacle; ” but this is a sheer mistake. (MF, TA.)