دفر

Root entry · 14 derived lemmas

The root دفر (d-f-r) primarily relates to the concept of pushing or repelling, often with a physical force. It also extends to meanings of foul odor, decay, and unpleasantness, sometimes metaphorically referring to disgrace or difficult circumstances.

Derived headwords

دَفَرَverb

1.
to push, to shoveboth
To push someone forcefully, often in the chest or neck area, implying obstruction or repulsion.

دفر في عنقه دفرا: دفع في صدره ومنعه — He pushed in his neck with a push, meaning he pushed in his chest and prevented him.

دفرته في قفاه دفرا أي دفعته — I pushed him on the back of his neck with a push, meaning I pushed him.

يدفرون في أقفيتهم دفرا أي دفعا — they are pushed in their necks with a push, meaning a push.

الدَّفْرnoun

1.
pushing, repulsionboth
The act of pushing or repelling someone, as described in the verb form.
2.
decay, rotclassical
The occurrence of worms in food or meat, indicating spoilage and decay.
3.
stench, foul odorboth
A strong, unpleasant smell, specifically associated with decay or body odor. It is never used for pleasant fragrances.
4.
disgrace, humiliationclassical
A state of humiliation or disgrace, interpreted from the exclamation 'Wa dafarah!'

الدفر: الدفع — The pushing, repulsion.

والدفر: وقوع الدود في الطعام واللحم — And the decay: the occurrence of worms in food and meat.

والدفر: النتن خاصة ولا يكون الطيب البتة — And the stench: the foul odor specifically, and it is never pleasantness.

وا دفراه قيل: أراد وا ذلاه — 'Oh, my disgrace!' It was said: he meant 'Oh, my humiliation!'

أَدْفَرَverb

1.
to emit a foul odorclassical
To emit a strong, unpleasant smell, particularly body odor.

أدفر الرجل إذا فاح ريح صنانه — The man emitted a foul odor if the smell of his body odor became strong.

الذَّفَرnoun

1.
strong fragranceclassical
A strong, intense smell, which can be either pleasant or unpleasant.

الذفر، بالذال وتحريك الفاء، شدة ذكاء الرائحة، طيبة كانت أو خبيثة — The strong fragrance, with a 'dhāl' and a moving 'fā', is the intensity of the smell's intelligence, whether it was pleasant or foul.

مِسْكٌ أَذْفَرadjective

1.
fragrant muskclassical
Musk that has a strong and potent fragrance.

ومنه قيل: مسك أذفر — And from this it is said: fragrant musk.

رَجُلٌ أَدْفَرadjective

1.
strong-smelling manclassical
A man who has a strong, often unpleasant, body odor.

ورجل أدفر ودفر — And a man with a strong odor and a strong odor.

دَفِرadjective

1.
strong-smellingclassical
Having a strong, often unpleasant, odor. This form is used adjectivally, derived from the root.

ومنه حديثه الآخر: إنما الحاج الأشعث الأدفر الأشعر — And from this is his other saying: 'The pilgrim is only the disheveled, the strong-smelling, the hairy.'

دَفْرَاءadjective

1.
foul-smelling womanclassical
A woman characterized by a strong, unpleasant odor.

وامرأة دفراء ودفرة — And a woman with a foul odor and a foul odor.

دَفِرَةadjective

1.
foul-smellingclassical
Possessing a strong, unpleasant odor, used for a woman.

وامرأة دفراء ودفرة — And a woman with a foul odor and a foul odor.

دَفَارnoun

1.
insulting termclassical
An insulting term used to address a slave woman, similar to 'Qattām', implying foulness or unpleasantness.
2.
world, lifeclassical
One of the names for the world or worldly life.

ويقال للأمة إذا شتمت: يا دفار، مثل قطام، أي يا منتنة — And it is said to a slave woman when she is insulted: 'O Dafār', like 'Qattām', meaning 'O foul-smelling one'.

ودفار وأم دفار وأم دفر، كله: الدنيا — And Dafār, Umm Dafār, and Umm Dufr, all mean: the world.

أُمُّ دُفْرname

1.
calamityclassical
One of the names for severe calamities or disasters.
2.
worldclassical
Also used as a name for the world or worldly life.

والدفر وأم دفر: من أسماء الدواهي — And the stench and Umm Dufr: are among the names of calamities.

ودفار وأم دفار وأم دفر، كله: الدنيا — And Dafār, Umm Dafār, and Umm Dufr, all mean: the world.

دَفْرًا دَافِرًاphrase

1.
utterly foulclassical
An expression used for emphasis, meaning extremely foul or unpleasant, often referring to something brought forth or done.

ودفرا دافرا لما يجيء به فلان على المبالغة أي نتنا — And 'dafaran dāfiran' for what so-and-so brings forth, used hyperbolically, meaning foul.

دَفْرًا لَهُphrase

1.
foulness upon himclassical
An expression of condemnation or wishing ill upon someone, meaning 'foulness be upon him'.

ويقال: دفرا له أي نتنا — And it is said: 'Dafaran lahu', meaning 'foulness upon him'.

الدَّفْرnoun

1.
stenchclassical
The foul odor, with the 'fā' pronounced open (fatḥah). This distinction is noted by Ibn al-A'rabi.

والدفر: النتن، بفتح الفاء، قال: ولا أعرف هذا الفرق إلا عن ابن الأعرابي — And the stench: the foul odor, with the 'fā' open. He said: I do not know this distinction except from Ibn al-A'rabi.

Parallel reading

الدفر: الدفع.

The pushing: the repulsion.

دفر في عنقه دفرا: دفع في صدره ومنعه؛ يمانية.

He pushed in his neck with a push: he pushed in his chest and prevented him; a Yamanite usage.

ابن الأعرابي: دفرته في قفاه دفرا أي دفعته.

Ibn al-A'rabi said: I pushed him on the back of his neck with a push, meaning I pushed him.

وروي عن مجاهد في قوله تعالى: يوم يدعون إلى نار جهنم دعا؛ قال يدفرون في أقفيتهم دفرا أي دفعا.

And it is narrated from Mujahid regarding His saying, the Almighty: 'The Day they are dragged into Hellfire, face down' [54:48]; he said: they are pushed in their necks with a push, meaning a push.

والدفر: وقوع الدود في الطعام واللحم.

And the decay: the occurrence of worms in food and meat.

والدفر: النتن خاصة ولا يكون الطيب البتة.

And the stench: the foul odor specifically, and it is never pleasantness.

ابن الأعرابي: أدفر الرجل إذا فاح ريح صنانه.

Ibn al-A'rabi said: The man emitted a foul odor if the smell of his body odor became strong.

غيره: الذفر، بالذال وتحريك الفاء، شدة ذكاء الرائحة، طيبة كانت أو خبيثة؛ ومنه قيل: مسك أذفر، ورجل أدفر ودفر، الأخيرة على النسب لا فعل له؛ قال نافع بن لقيط الفقعسي:

Others said: The strong fragrance, with a 'dhāl' and a moving 'fā', is the intensity of the smell's intelligence, whether it was pleasant or foul; and from this it is said: fragrant musk, and a man with a strong odor and a strong odor, the latter being adjectival derived from the root, not a verb form; Naafi' bin Laqeet al-Fuq'asi said:

ومؤولق أنضجت كية رأسه، ... فتركته دفرا كريح الجورب

And a she-camel whose head was seared by a brand, ... leaving it foul-smelling like the odor of a sock

وامرأة دفراء ودفرة.

And a woman with a foul odor and a foul odor.

ويقال للأمة إذا شتمت: يا دفار، مثل قطام، أي يا منتنة.

And it is said to a slave woman when she is insulted: 'O Dafār', like 'Qattām', meaning 'O foul-smelling one'.

وفي حديث قيلة: ألقي إلي ابنة أخي يا دفار أي يا منتنة، وهي مبنية على الكسر وأكثر ما ترد في النداء.

And in the narration of Qaylah: 'Throw to me my brother's daughter, O Dafār', meaning 'O foul-smelling one', and it is built on the kasrah and most often occurs in vocative calls.

والدفر وأم دفر: من أسماء الدواهي.

And the stench and Umm Dufr: are among the names of calamities.

ودفار وأم دفار وأم دفر، كله: الدنيا.

And Dafār, Umm Dafār, and Umm Dufr, all mean: the world.

ودفرا دافرا لما يجيء به فلان على المبالغة أي نتنا.

And 'dafaran dāfiran' for what so-and-so brings forth, used hyperbolically, meaning foul.

ويقال للرجل إذا قبحت أمره: دفرا دافرا، ويقال: دفرا له أي نتنا.

And it is said to a man when his affair becomes ugly: 'dafaran dāfiran', and it is said: 'Dafaran lahu', meaning foul.

وقال ابن الأعرابي: الدفر الذل، وبه فسر قول عمر، رضي الله عنه، لما سأل كعبا عن ولاة الأمر فأخبره قال: وا دفراه قيل: أراد وا ذلاه، وأما غيره ففسره بالنتن أي وا نتناه؛ ومنه حديثه الآخر: إنما الحاج الأشعث الأدفر الأشعر ؛ والدفر: النتن، بفتح الفاء، قال: ولا أعرف هذا الفرق إلا عن ابن الأعرابي، ومنه قيل للدنيا أم دفر.

And Ibn al-A'rabi said: The stench is humiliation. And with this he interpreted the saying of Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, when he asked Ka'b about the rulers and he informed him, he said: 'Wa dafarāh!' It was said: he meant 'Oh, my humiliation!' But others interpreted it as foulness, meaning 'Oh, its foulness!'; and from this is his other saying: 'The pilgrim is only the disheveled, the strong-smelling, the hairy'; and the stench: the foul odor, with the 'fā' open. He said: I do not know this distinction except from Ibn al-A'rabi, and from this the world is called Umm Dufr.