سفر

سُفْرَةٌ ذ The food of the traveller; (M, K;) the food that is prepared for the traveller, (S, Msb,) or for a journey: (TA:) pl. َسُفَرٌ. (Msb.) This is the primary signification. (TA.) You say, أَكَلُوا السُّفْرَةَ They ate the food for the journey. (A.) ― -b2- Hence, (tropical:) The receptacle thereof; (TA;) the piece of skin in which it is put. (S, * M, * Msb, K, * TA.) [This is commonly of a round form, with a running string; so that it is converted into a bag to contain the food, at one time, and at another time is spread flat upon the ground, when persons want to eat upon it.] ― -b3- And hence, (tropical:) The thing [ whatever it be ] upon which one eats: (TA:) [in the desert, it is generally a round piece of skin, such as I have described above: in the towns, in the houses of the middle classes, a round tray of tinned copper, which is usually placed on a low stool; and in the dwellings of some of the highest classes, and the lowest, respectively, of silver and wood:] accord. to the T, سُفْرَةٌ has the last of the significations given before this, and the thing which it denotes is thus called because it is spread when one eats upon it. (TA.)