خنع

خَانِعٌ خانع One who acts in a suspicious manner, or so as to induce suspicion or evil opinion; who acts vitiously, or immorally; or commits adultery, or fornication: (S, K:) pl. خُنُعٌ (K, TA) and خَنَعَةٌ. (TA.) El-Aashà says, هُمْ الخَضَارِمُ اـِنْ غَابُوا وَ اـِنْ شَهِدُوا وَ لَا يَرَوْنَ اـِلَى جَارَاتِهِمْ خُنُعَا [ They are the bountiful, if they be absent and if they be present; and they do not see persons acting in a suspicious manner, &c., towards their wives ]. (TA.) [The latter hemistich of this verse is cited in the S; in one copy of which I find يُرَوْنَ in the place of يَرَوْنَ: and it seems to be there implied that خُنُعٌ is pl. of خُنْعَةٌ; but I do not know any instance of فُعُلٌ as the measure of a pl. of a word of the measure فَعْلَةٌ.] ― -b2- One who commits a foul action whereof the disgrace returns upon him, and is ashamed of it, and hangs down his head towards the ground. (As, on the authority of an Arab of the desert.)