سنف

1 سَنَفَ البَعِيرَ ذ , aor. سَنِفَ and سَنُفَ , (S, M, K,) inf. n. سَنْفٌ; (M, K;) and ↓ اسنقهُ; (S, * M, K;) or, accord. to As, the latter only; (S;) He bound the سِنَاف [q. v.] upon the camel: (S, M, K:) and the latter, he put to him (i. e. the camel), or made for him, a سِنَاف; (K, TA;) thus expl. by El-'Ozeyzee. (TA.) [Hence, accord. to some,] one says, in a prov., of a person confounded or perplexed, and unable to see his right course, in his affair, ↓ عَىَّ بِالاـِسْنَافِ, (S, Meyd,) meaning He was confounded, or perplexed, and unable to see his right course, by reason of fright, like him who knows not where to bind the سِنَاف: (Z, TA:) it originated from the fact of a man's being thus confounded, or perplexed: (Meyd:) a poet says, (namely, Ibn-Kulthoom, TA,) اـِذَا مَا عَىَّ بِالاـِسْنَافِ قَوْمٌ مِنَ الأَمْرِ المُشَبَّهِ أَنْ يَكُونَا [as though meaning When a people are unable to find the right way to bind the سناف, in consequence of the affair that is uncertain to be: (thus related by Meyd; but in the TA with حَىٌّ in the place of قوم, and عَلَى in the place of من:)] Az, however, says that this is not the meaning: that الاسناف here signifies the advancing, or preceding; and that the meaning is, are unable to find the right way of advancing, or preceding; (Meyd, TA;) from أَسْنَفَ said of a horse, expl. below. (TA.) -A2- See also the next paragraph.