زحف

زَحْفٌ ذ An army, or a military force, marching by little and little, or leisurely, to, or towards, the enemy, (S, A, K, TA,) or heavily, by reason of their multitude and force: (A, TA:) or a numerous army or military force; an inf. n. used as a subst.; (Mgh, Msb;) because, by reason of its multitude, and heaviness of motion, it is as though it crept, or crawled, along: (Mgh:) accord. to Az, from زَحَفَ عَلَى ا@سْتِهِ, said of a child: (TA:) not applied to a single individual: (IKoot, Msb:) pl. زُحُوفٌ. (Msb, TA.) ― -b2- And hence, as being likened thereto, (tropical:) A swarm of locusts. (TA.) ― -b3- فَرَّ مِنَ الزَّحْفِ, occurring in a trad., means He fled from war with unbelievers; and from encountering the enemy in war. (TA.) ― -b4- اـِذَا لَقِيتُمُ ا@لَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا زَحْفًا, in the Kur [viii. 15], means, accord. to Zj, زَاحِفِينَ, i. e. [ When ye meet those who have disbelieved ] marching by little and little [in consequence of their great number, to attack you]. (TA.)