ثفن

ثَفِنَةٌ ثفنه ثفنة [The callosity, or callous protuberance, upon ] the knee; and what touches the ground, [ in the act of lying down, ] of [ the callosity upon the breast called ] the كِرْكِرَة and the سَعْدَانَة, [two words having the same meaning, for the latter of which the K erroneously substitutes the pl. form,] and of [ each of the stifle-joints, i. e.,] the roots, or lower parts, of the thighs; of the camel: (M, K: *) pl. ثِفَنٌ and ثِفَانٌ (M, K) and ثِفِنَاتٌ: (T, S, M:) the ثَفِنَات of the camel are the parts that fall upon the ground when the animal lies down, and that become rough, or callous, such as the two knees, &c.; (S;) the parts that are next the ground when the camel lies down, one of them being the كِرْكِرَة, with which they are five in number [as explained above]: or, as some say, the ثَفِنَة is [only the stifle-joint, i. e.,] the joint between the thigh and the ساق [or leg properly so called], internally, [meaning anteriorly, ] and [the knee, i. e.,] the joint between the shank and the arm: (T:) or, accord. to some, any part that is next the ground, of any quadruped, when he lies down like the camel and like the sheep. (M.) ― -b2- Hence, (TA,) [The stifle-joint, i. e.,] the joint between each thigh and leg, internally, [meaning anteriorly, ] of a horse. (M, K.) ― -b3- Hence also, (TA,) The knee of a man: or [so accord. to the M, but in the K “ and, ”] the place of union of the shank and thigh: (M, K:) [or the lower portion of the fore part of the knee, which becomes callous in consequence of much kneeling: see 3, first sentence. Hence,] 'Abd-Allah Ibn-Wahb Er-Rásibee was surnamed ذُو الثَّفِنَاتِ (S, M, K *) from his much praying, (M,) because long prostration produced an [indurating] effect upon his ثفنات: (S, K:) and 'Alee Ibn-El-Hoseyn Ibn-'Alee, (K, TA,) known by the appellation of Zeyn-el-'Ábìdeen, (TA,) was [likewise] so surnamed, (K, TA,) because those parts of him upon which he prostrated himself were like the ثفنة of the camel in consequence of his much praying: (TA:) so too was 'Alee Ibn-AbdAllah Ibn-El-'Abbás. (A, K.) ― -b4- الثَّفِنَةُ مِنَ الجُلَّةِ, (K, [in some of the copies of the K الحُلَّة, which, as is said in the TA, is a mistake,]) or ثَفِنَتَا الجُلَّةِ, (AHn, M,) The two edges of the lower part of the جُلَّة, (AHn, M, K,) [meaning,] of the dates [ contained in the receptacle thus called; app. because the dates in the edges become more dry and hard than the main portion]. (AHn, M.) -A2- Also A number, and a company, of men. (M, K.) -A3- And [as fem. of ثَفِنٌ, which is perhaps unused,] A she-camel that strikes with her ثَفِنَات [here meaning her stifle-joints ] on the occasion of her being milked. (M, K.) Her case is easier than that of the ضَجُور. (M.)