زحف

Root entry · 18 derived lemmas

The root زحف (zaḥafa) primarily denotes slow, creeping, or dragging movement, often associated with armies advancing, children crawling, or the movement of reptiles. It can also signify exhaustion, particularly of animals, and has specific applications in prosody and describing natural phenomena.

Derived headwords

زَحَفَverb

1.
to crawlboth
To move slowly and laboriously, like a child on its belly or a snake.
2.
to advance slowlyboth
To move forward gradually, especially in a military context.
3.
to be exhaustedclassical
To become weary and unable to move easily, often used for animals.

زحف إليه يزحف زحفا وزحوفا وزحفانا: مشى — He moved towards him, crawling or advancing slowly.

زحف الصبي على استه — The child crawled on his bottom.

زَحْفٌnoun

1.
crawling movementboth
The act of moving slowly and laboriously, like a child or a reptile.
2.
slow advanceboth
A gradual movement forward, especially of an army.
3.
a large groupclassical
A multitude or host, particularly of people advancing together.
4.
exhaustionclassical
Weariness or inability to move, especially of a beast of burden.

والزحف: الجماعة يزحفون إلى العدو بمرة — And al-zaḥf: a group advancing towards the enemy at once.

زحف الصبي على بطنه — The child crawled on his belly.

زُحُوفٌnoun

1.
crawlersclassical
A collective noun for those who move by crawling.
2.
advancing armiesclassical
A plural or collective term for armies advancing slowly.
3.
locustsclassical
A term used for locusts in their movement.

والجمع زحوف، كسروا اسم الجمع كما قد يكسرون الجمع — And the plural is zuḥūf, they broke the name of the plural as they might break the plural itself.

يا أيها الذين آمنوا إذا لقيتم الذين كفروا زحفا — O you who have believed, when you meet those who disbelieve advancing [in battle]...

زَحُوفٌadjective

1.
crawling (animal)classical
Describing an animal, especially a camel, that moves slowly or with difficulty.
2.
slow-movingclassical
Characterized by slow or dragging movement.

ناقة زحوف من إبل زحف — A slow-moving female camel from a group of slow-moving camels.

أَزْحَفَverb

1.
to cause to crawlclassical
To make something or someone move slowly or crawl.
2.
to exhaust (animal)classical
To make a beast of burden weary through travel.
3.
to advance rapidlyclassical
To move quickly, an accelerated form of crawling.

أزحفت القوم إذا ثبت لهم — I made the people advance slowly towards them.

أزحف لنا عدونا إزحافا أي صاروا يزحفون إلينا زحفا ليقاتلونا — Our enemy made us advance towards us, meaning they began to crawl towards us to fight us.

إِزْحَافٌnoun

1.
slow advanceclassical
The act of advancing slowly or gradually.
2.
exhaustionclassical
The state of being weary or unable to move, especially of a mount.
3.
reaching a goalclassical
To achieve the utmost of what one desires or seeks.

أزحف لنا عدونا إزحافا — Our enemy made us advance towards us.

مُزَاحِفٌnoun

1.
trails of snakesclassical
The tracks or trails left by snakes as they move.
2.
exhausted animalclassical
A beast of burden that is weary and slow-moving.

كأن مزاحف الحيات فيه — As if the trails of snakes were in it.

طير تحوم على جون مزاحيف — Birds hovering over black, weary camels.

مُزَاحِفٌadjective

1.
slow-movingclassical
Describing something that moves slowly or with difficulty.

لأرض مزحف — A slow-moving ground.

تَزَحَّفَverb

1.
to crawlboth
To move by crawling, especially on one's belly or bottom.
2.
to advance slowlyclassical
To move forward gradually, often in a military context.

والصبي يتزحف على الأرض — And the child crawls on the ground.

والقوم يتزاحفون ويزدحفون إذا تدانوا في الحرب — And the people move closer to each other if they approach each other in war.

ازْدَحَفَverb

1.
to move towards each otherclassical
For groups of people to move towards one another.
2.
to advance slowlyclassical
To move forward gradually.

ازدحف القوم ازدحافا إذا مشى بعضهم إلى بعض — The people moved towards each other, meaning they walked towards one another.

والقوم يتزاحفون ويزدحفون إذا تدانوا في الحرب — And the people move closer to each other if they approach each other in war.

زَحَّافٌnoun

1.
type of snakeclassical
A type of snake that moves by dragging its body.
2.
poetic meter defectclassical
A specific metrical fault in Arabic poetry, involving the substitution of a syllable.

ومن الحيات الزحاف، وهو الذي يمشي على أثنائه كما تمشي الأفعى — And among snakes is al-zuḥāf, which is the one that moves by dragging its body like an viper.

والزحاف في الشعر: معروف، سمي بذلك لثقله تخص به الأسباب دون الأوتاد إلا القطع فإنه يكون في أوتاد الأعاريض والضروب، وهو سقط ما بين الحرفين حرف فزحف أحدهما إلى الآخر — And al-zuḥāf in poetry is known; it is so named because of its heaviness, affecting the causes (asbāb) but not the feet (awtād) except for al-qaṭʿ, which can occur in the feet of the meters and rhythms. It is the dropping of a letter between two letters, causing one to move towards the other.

زَوَاحِفٌnoun

1.
crawling creaturesboth
A collective term for animals that crawl.
2.
weary camelsclassical
Camels that are exhausted from travel.

والزاحف والزاحك المعيي، يقال للذكر والأنثى، والجمع الزواحف والزواحك — And al-zāḥif and al-zāḥik are the weary ones, said for male and female, and the plural is al-zawāḥif and al-zawāḥik.

مُزْحِفٌadjective

1.
exhaustedclassical
Describing an animal that is weary and unable to move.
2.
slow-movingclassical
Characterized by slow or dragging movement.

فهو مزحف — So he is weary/slow-moving.

وكل معي لا حراك به زاحف ومزحف، مهزولا كان أو سمينا — And every weary one that cannot move is a zāḥif and muzḥif, whether thin or fat.

مُزْحَافٌadjective

1.
prone to exhaustionclassical
Describing a camel that is habitually weary or slow-moving.
2.
slow-movingclassical
Characterized by slow or dragging movement.

ومزحاف من إبل مزاحيف ومزاحف — And muzḥāf from a group of weary camels.

ناقة زحوف من إبل زحف، ومزحاف من إبل مزاحيف ومزاحف — A slow-moving female camel from a group of slow-moving camels, and muzḥāf from a group of weary camels.

زَحُوفَانٌnoun

1.
crawlingclassical
The act of crawling or moving slowly.
2.
exhaustionclassical
Weariness, especially of a mount.

زحف إليه يزحف زحفا وزحوفا وزحفانا: مشى — He moved towards him, crawling or advancing slowly.

زُحْفَةٌnoun

1.
a single crawlclassical
A single instance of crawling or slow movement.

زَحَفَانٌnoun

1.
crawlingclassical
The act of crawling or moving slowly.
2.
exhaustionclassical
Weariness, especially of a mount.

زحف إليه يزحف زحفا وزحوفا وزحفانا: مشى — He moved towards him, crawling or advancing slowly.

زَحَّافٌname

1.
name of a camelclassical
A proper name given to a camel.

زاحف اسم بعير — Zāḥif is the name of a camel.

Parallel reading

زحف إليه يزحف زحفا وزحوفا وزحفانا: مشى.

He moved towards him, crawling or advancing slowly.

ويقال: زحف الدبى إذا مضى قدما.

And it is said: the locusts crawl when they move forward.

والزحف: الجماعة يزحفون إلى العدو بمرة.

And al-zaḥf: a group advancing towards the enemy at once.

اللهم اغفر له وإن كان فر من الزحف أي فر من الجهاد ولقاء العدو في الحرب.

O Allah, forgive him, even if he fled from the advancing army, meaning he fled from the struggle and meeting the enemy in war.

يا أيها الذين آمنوا إذا لقيتم الذين كفروا زحفا ؛

O you who have believed, when you meet those who disbelieve advancing [in battle]...

والجمع زحوف، كسروا اسم الجمع كما قد يكسرون الجمع، ويستعمل في الجراد؛

And the plural is zuḥūf, they broke the name of the plural as they might break the plural itself, and it is used for locusts;

قال الزجاج: يقال أزحفت القوم إذا ثبت لهم، قال: فمعنى قوله إذا لقيتم الذين كفروا زحفا أي إذا لقيتموهم زاحفين، وهو أن يزحفوا إليهم قليلا قليلا، فلا تولوهم الأدبار؛

Al-Zajjaj said: It is said 'azḥaftu al-qawma' if you made the people advance slowly towards them. He said: The meaning of His saying 'when you meet those who disbelieve advancing' is if you meet them advancing, which is that they advance towards them little by little, so do not turn your backs to them;

وأصل الزحف للصبي وهو أن يزحف على استه قبل أن يقوم، وإذا فعل ذلك على بطنه قيل قد حبا، وشبه بزحف الصبيان مشي الفئتين تلتقيان للقتال، فيمشي كل فيه مشيا رويدا إلى الفئة الأخرى قبل التداني للضراب، وهي مزاحف أهل الحرب، وربما استجنت الرجالة بجننها وتزاحفت من قعود إلى أن يعرض لها الضراب أو الطعان.

And the origin of al-zaḥf is for a child, which is crawling on his bottom before standing. If he does that on his belly, it is said he has 'ḥabā'. And the movement of two groups meeting for battle is likened to the crawling of children, where each group walks slowly towards the other group before closing in for the strike. This is the 'muzāḥaf' of the warriors, and sometimes the infantry would take cover behind their shields and advance slowly from a sitting position until the strike or combat presented itself.

ويقال: أزحف لنا عدونا إزحافا أي صاروا يزحفون إلينا زحفا ليقاتلونا؛

And it is said: 'azḥafa lanā ʿaduwwunā izḥāfan' meaning our enemy advanced towards us, i.e., they began to crawl towards us to fight us;

وانشمن في غباره وخذرفا ... «2» معا، وشتى في الغبار كالشفا مثلين، ثم أزحفت وأزحفا أي أسرع، وأصله من خذرف الصبي.

And they stirred up in its dust and moved quickly... together, and scattered in the dust like the edge of a cliff, in two ways. Then they advanced rapidly, meaning they sped up, and its origin is from a child's quick movement.

ازدحف القوم ازدحافا إذا مشى بعضهم إلى بعض.

The people moved towards each other, meaning they walked towards one another.

والزحف: المشي قليلا قليلا، والصبي يتزحف على الأرض، وفي التهذيب على بطنه: ينسحب قبل أن يمشي.

And al-zaḥf: walking little by little. And the child crawls on the ground, and in Al-Tahdhib, on his belly: he drags himself before he walks.

مزاحف الحيات: آثار انسيابها ومواضع مدبها؛

Trails of snakes: their slithering tracks and the places they have moved.

كأن مزاحف الحيات فيه، ... قبيل الصبح، آثار السياط

As if the trails of snakes were in it, ... just before morning, like the marks of lashes.

ومن الحيات الزحاف، وهو الذي يمشي على أثنائه كما تمشي الأفعى.

And among snakes is al-zuḥāf, which is the one that moves by dragging its body like a viper.

مزاحف السحاب: حيث وقع قطره وزحف إليه؛

Trails of clouds: where their rain fell and moved towards.

أخلى بلينة والرنقاء مرتعه، ... يقرو مزاحف جون ساقط الربب

He cleared the pasture of Balina and Al-Rinqa', ... grazing on the trails of dark clouds where the rain fell.

والقوم يتزاحفون ويزدحفون إذا تدانوا في الحرب.

And the people move closer to each other if they approach each other in war.

ونار الزحفتين نار العرفج، وذلك أنها سريعة الأخذ فيه لأنه ضرام، فإذا التهبت زحف عنها مصطلوها أخرا ثم لا تلبث أن تخبو فيزحف إليهم راجعين.

And the fire of the two 'zaḥfatayn' is the fire of the 'urfuj' (a type of shrub), because it catches quickly in it as it is flammable. When it flares up, those warming themselves move away from it, then it soon dies down, and they return to it.

زحف في المشي يزحف زحفا وزحفانا: أعيا.

He moved slowly in walking, crawling, and with difficulty: he became exhausted.

زحف المعيي يزحف زحفا وزحوفا، وزحف البعير يزحف زحفا وزحوفا وزحفانا وأزحف: أعيا فجر فرسنه، وفي التهذيب: أعيا فقام على صاحبه، فهو مزحف؛

The exhausted one crawls with difficulty, and the camel crawls with difficulty, and it becomes exhausted, its nose-ring breaks. And in Al-Tahdhib: it becomes exhausted and stands on its owner. So it is muzḥif (exhausted);

ارحل ناقتي، ... عمرو، فتبلغ حاجتي أو تزحف

Load my camel, ... Amr, so that it reaches my need or becomes exhausted.

وبعير زاحف من إبل زواحف، الواحدة زاحفة؛

And a zāḥif camel from a group of zāḥif camels, the singular is zāḥifah.

مستقبلين شمال الشام تضربنا ... بحاصب كنديف القطن منثور على عمائمنا تلقى، وأرحلنا ... على زواحف، نزجيها، محاسير

Facing the northern winds of Sham, striking us... with hail like scattered cotton, falling on our turbans. And our camels... on the slow-moving ones, we urge them on, exhausted.

وناقة زحوف من إبل زحف، ومزحاف من إبل مزاحيف ومزاحف، وإذا كان ذلك من عادته فهو مزحاف؛

And a zūḥūf female camel from a group of zūḥūf camels, and muzḥāf from a group of muzāḥīf and muzāḥif camels. And if that is its habit, then it is muzḥāf;

حتى كأن مساحي القوم، فوقهم، ... طير تحوم على جون مزاحيف

Until it was as if the shovels of the people, above them, ... were birds hovering over black, weary camels.

وقد أزحفها طول السفر: أكلها فأعياها، ويزدحفون في معنى يتزاحفون، وكذلك يتزحفون.

And the long journey exhausted it: it ate it and made it weary. And they move towards each other in the meaning of 'yatazāḥafūn', and likewise 'yatazaḥḥafūn'.

وزحفت في المشي وأزحفت إذا أعييت.

And I crawled in walking and became exhausted if I was weary.

وأزحف الرجل: أعيت دابته وإبله، وكل معي لا حراك به زاحف ومزحف، مهزولا كان أو سمينا.

And the man's mount became exhausted: his horse and camels became weary. And every weary one that cannot move is a zāḥif and muzḥif, whether thin or fat.

أن راحلته أزحفت أي أعيت ووقفت؛

That his mount became exhausted, meaning it became weary and stopped;

وزحف الرجل إذا انسحب على استه؛ ومنه الحديث: يزحفون على أستاههم ؛

And the man crawled if he dragged himself on his bottom; and from this is the hadith: they crawl on their bottoms;

إذا حركته الريح كي تستخفه، ... تزاجر ملحاح إلى الأرض مزحف

When the wind moved it to make it light, ... it stubbornly moved towards the ground, slow-moving.

الزاحف والزاحك المعيي، يقال للذكر والأنثى، والجمع الزواحف والزواحك.

Al-zāḥif and al-zāḥik are the weary ones, said for male and female, and the plural is al-zawāḥif and al-zawāḥik.

وأزحف الرجل إزحافا: بلف غاية ما يريد ويطلب.

And the man achieved his goal: he reached the utmost of what he desired and sought.

والزحوف من النوق: التي تجر رجليها إذا مشت، ومزحاف.

And al-zuḥūf from female camels: the one that drags its legs when it walks, and muzḥāf.

والزاحف: السهم يقع دون الغرض ثم يزحف إليه؛ وتزحف إليه أي تمشى.

And al-zāḥif: the arrow that falls short of the target and then crawls towards it; and 'tazḥafa ilayhi' means to walk towards it.

وهو سقط ما بين الحرفين حرف فزحف أحدهما إلى الآخر «1».

It is the dropping of a letter between two letters, causing one to move towards the other.

سأجزيك خذلانا بتقطيعي الصوى إليك، ... وخفا زاحف تقطر الدما «2»

I will repay you with neglect by my cutting of the stones towards you, ... and a crawling camel dripping blood.

فسره فقال: زاحف اسم بعير.

He explained it and said: Zāḥif is the name of a camel.

وقال ثعلب: هو نعت لجمل زاحف أي معي، وليس باسم علم لجمل ما.

And Tha'lab said: It is an adjective for a weary camel, meaning exhausted, and not a proper name for any camel.