ز ح ف

Root entry · 28 derived lemmas

The root ز ح ف (z-h-f) primarily denotes slow, creeping, or dragging movement, often associated with weakness, exhaustion, or a deliberate, cautious approach. It extends to concepts of armies moving slowly, the movement of reptiles, and even metaphorical applications like the slow progression of time or the movement of clouds.

Derived headwords

زَحَفَverb

1.
to crawlboth
To move slowly and laboriously, often on one's stomach or hands and knees, like a baby before walking.
2.
to advance slowlyboth
To move forward gradually and deliberately, especially in the context of an army approaching an enemy.
3.
to dragclassical
To pull or draw something along the ground with effort.
4.
to be exhaustedboth
To become weary and unable to move easily, often used for animals.

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

زحف الجيش إلى العدو — The army advanced slowly towards the enemy.

زَحْفًاnoun

1.
crawlingboth
The act of moving slowly and laboriously, like a baby before walking.
2.
slow advanceboth
A gradual and deliberate movement forward, especially of an army.
3.
exhaustionboth
A state of weariness and inability to move easily.

يقال: زحف الدبى: إذا مضى قدما — It is said: the locusts crawled, meaning they moved forward.

زُحُوفًاnoun

1.
crawlingboth
The act of moving slowly and laboriously.
2.
slow advanceboth
A gradual and deliberate movement forward.
3.
exhaustionboth
A state of weariness.

يقال: هو يزحف، زحفا، وزحوفا — It is said: he moves slowly, with crawling and with exhaustion.

زَحَفَانًاnoun

1.
crawlingboth
The act of moving slowly and laboriously.
2.
slow advanceboth
A gradual and deliberate movement forward.
3.
exhaustionboth
A state of weariness.

وزحفانا، محركة: مشى — And zahaafanan, with movement: he walked.

الزَّحْفnoun

1.
armyboth
A large group of soldiers moving together, especially towards the enemy.
2.
groupclassical
A large gathering of people moving together, often with difficulty.
3.
slow movementboth
The act of moving slowly and gradually.

اللهم اغفر له وإن كان فر من الزحف — O Allah, forgive him even if he fled from the advancing army.

زَحُوفnoun

1.
armyboth
A collective noun for an army, referring to a large group of soldiers.
2.
groupclassical
A large group of people or things moving slowly.

إذا لقيتم الذين كفروا زحفا — When you meet those who have disbelieved, in battle formation.

مُزَاحَفَةnoun

1.
slow approachclassical
The act of approaching slowly and cautiously, like armies preparing for battle.
2.
struggleclassical
A difficult or laborious movement.

وهي مزاحف أهل الحرب — And it is the slow approach of the warriors.

مُزَاحِفadjective

1.
slow-movingboth
Characterized by slow, laborious movement, often due to exhaustion or weight.
2.
crawlingclassical
Moving slowly and gradually, like a reptile or a baby.

على زاواحف نزجيها محاسير — Upon slow-moving camels we urge them on, weary.

مَزَاحِفnoun

1.
trails of snakesboth
The tracks or traces left by snakes as they slither along the ground.
2.
places of movementclassical
Areas where slow or creeping movement occurs.

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

زَحِيفname

1.
a mountain nameclassical
The name of a mountain located between Dhariyya and the sunset.

زحيف: جبل بين ضرية ومغيب الشمس — Zahif: a mountain between Dhariyya and the sunset.

نار الزَّحْفَتَيْنname

1.
fire of the Arfaj plantclassical
A name for the fire of the Arfaj plant, known for its rapid ignition and quick dying out, causing people to move towards and away from it.

نار الزحفتين: نار الشيح، والألاء، لأنه يسرع الاشتعال فيهما — The fire of the two zahaftayn: the fire of the Shaih and Alaa, because it ignites quickly in them.

زَحْنَفَةadjective

1.
bow-leggedclassical
A man whose heels almost touch each other, suggesting a peculiar gait.
2.
one who crawlsclassical
Someone who moves on the ground, either due to weakness or old age.

والزحنففة من الرجال: الذي يكاد عرقوباه يصطكان — And the zahnaffah among men: he whose heels almost touch.

زَحْفَةadjective

1.
slow-movingclassical
Someone who does not travel widely in the land, preferring to stay close.

رجل زحفة زحلة — A man who is slow-moving and stays close.

زَحَّالَةadjective

1.
slow-movingclassical
One who does not travel widely in the land, preferring to stay close.

رجل زحفة زحلة — A man who is slow-moving and stays close.

زَاحِفadjective

1.
crawlingboth
Moving slowly and laboriously, like a baby or a reptile.
2.
exhaustedboth
Weary and unable to move easily.
3.
slow-movingboth
Characterized by slow movement.

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

زَحَّافnoun

1.
a type of poetic meter defectclassical
In Arabic prosody, a defect where a letter is dropped between two others, causing a slight shift.
2.
slow movementclassical
The act of moving slowly and gradually.

الزحاف، ككتاب، في الشعر: هو أن يسقط بين الحرفين حرف — Al-zahaaf, like kitaab, in poetry: it is the dropping of a letter between two letters.

أَزْحَفَverb

1.
to become exhaustedboth
To reach a state of extreme weariness, causing inability to move.
2.
to approachclassical
To move towards someone or something, especially with hostile intent.
3.
to reach a goalclassical
To attain the desired end or limit.

أزحف البعير: أعيا، فقام على صاحبه — The camel became exhausted: it grew weary and stood up on its owner.

إِزْحَافnoun

1.
approachingclassical
The act of moving towards someone or something, especially with hostile intent.
2.
reaching a goalclassical
The attainment of a desired end or limit.

أزحف لنا بنو فلان، إزحافا: إذا صاروا يزحفون إلينا زحفا، ليقاتلونا — So-and-so's family approached us, with an approach: when they began to crawl towards us, to fight us.

مُزْحِفadjective

1.
exhaustedboth
Weary and unable to move easily, often used for animals.
2.
slow-movingboth
Characterized by slow, laborious movement.

أن راحلته أزحفت من الإعياء — That his mount became exhausted from weariness.

مِسَاحِيnoun

1.
digging toolsclassical
Tools used for digging, possibly in the context of a grave.

كأن أوب مساحي القوم فوقهم — As if the digging tools of the people were above them.

تَزَاحَفُواverb

1.
to draw nearclassical
To approach each other closely, especially in combat.
2.
to move slowly togetherclassical
To advance gradually towards one another.

وتزاحفوا في القتال: إذا تدانوا — And they drew near each other in battle: when they approached closely.

زُحَافnoun

1.
poetic meter defectclassical
A defect in Arabic poetry where a letter is dropped, affecting the meter.

الزحاف، ككتاب، في الشعر: هو أن يسقط بين الحرفين حرف — Al-zahaaf, like kitaab, in poetry: it is the dropping of a letter between two letters.

مُزَاحَفadjective

1.
slow-movingclassical
Moving slowly and laboriously.

طير تعيف على جون مزاحيف — Birds alighting on slow-moving camels.

تَزَحَّفَverb

1.
to walk slowlyboth
To move on foot with a slow and laborious gait.

وتزحف إليه: تمشى — And he moved slowly towards him: he walked.

ازْدَحَفَverb

1.
to move towards each otherclassical
When a group of people move towards one another.

ازدحف القوم: إذا مشى بعضهم إلى بعض — The people moved towards each other: when some of them walked towards others.

ازْدِحَافnoun

1.
moving towards each otherclassical
The act of a group of people moving towards one another.

ازدحف القوم: إذا مشى بعضهم إلى بعض، وهم يتزاحفون، ويزدحفون بمعنى واحد — The people moved towards each other: when some of them walked towards others, and they were moving towards each other, and moving towards each other with the same meaning.

زَحَّافَةnoun

1.
Egyptian term for a sliding mechanismclassical
A term, possibly Egyptian, for something that is slid or dragged.

والزحافة، بالتشديد: ما يزحف به البيت، لغة مصرية — And al-zahafah, with shaddah: what the house is slid with, an Egyptian language.

زَاحِفَةadjective

1.
crawlingboth
Moving slowly and laboriously.
2.
slow-movingboth
Characterized by slow movement.

والزاحف والزاحك: المعيي، يقال للذكر وللأنثى، ويجمع: الزواحف، والزواحك — And al-zaahif and al-zaahik: the exhausted one, said for male and female, and pluralized: al-zawaahif, and al-zawaahik.

Parallel reading

زحف إليه، كمنع، زحفا، بالفتح، وزحوفا، كقعود، وزحفانا، محركة: مشى

He moved towards him, like man'a, with zahaafan (open), and zuhuufan (like qu'uud), and zahaafanan (vowelized): he walked.

يقال: زحف الدبى: إذا مشى، كذا في النسخ، والصواب: مضى قدما

It is said: the locusts crawled, meaning they moved forward, as is in the copies, and the correct is: they moved forward.

والزحف: الجيش، وفي اللسان: الجماعة يزحفون إلى العدو بمرة

And al-zahf: the army, and in al-Lisan: a group moving towards the enemy all at once.

اللهم اغفر له وإن كان فر من الزحف

O Allah, forgive him even if he fled from the advancing army.

إذا لقيتم الذين كفروا زحفا

When you meet those who have disbelieved, in battle formation.

قال الزجاج: أي زاحفين، وهو أن يزحفوا إليهم قليلا قليلا

Al-Zajjaj said: meaning advancing, which is that they move towards them little by little.

أصل الزحف، من قولهم: زحف الصبي على استه، وهو أن يزحف قبل أن يمشي

The origin of zahf is from their saying: the child crawls on his bottom, which is that he crawls before he walks.

وشبه بزحف الصبيان مشى الفئتين يلتقيان للقتال

And the walking of two groups meeting for battle is likened to the crawling of children.

والبعير، إذا أعيا، فجر فرسنه، يقال: هو يزحف، زحفا، وزحوفا، وزحفانا

And the camel, if it becomes exhausted, drags its muzzle, it is said: it moves slowly, with crawling, and with exhaustion, and with slow movement.

مزاحف الحيات: آثار انسيابها، ومواضع مدبها

The trails of snakes: their slithering tracks, and the places they move.

كأن مزاحف الحيات فيه آثار السياط

As if the trails of snakes were in it, the marks of whips.

خرجوا يفرون مزاحف السحاب، أي: مصابه، وحيث وقع قطره

They went out fleeing the places where the clouds strike, meaning: where they fall, and where their rain lands.

زحيف، كزبير: جبل بين ضرية ومغيب الشمس

Zahif, like Zubayr: a mountain between Dhariyya and the sunset.

ونار الزحفتين: نار الشيح، والألاء، لأنه يسرع الاشتعال فيهما

And the fire of the two zahaftayn: the fire of the Shaih and Alaa, because it ignites quickly in them.

والزحنففة من الرجال: الذي يكاد عرقوباه يصطكان

And the zahnaffah among men: he whose heels almost touch.

رجل زحفة زحلة، كتؤدة فيهما: هو من لا يسيح في البلاد

A man zahfah zahlah, like tu'dah in both: he is one who does not travel widely in the land.

أزحف لنا بنو فلان، إزحافا: إذا صاروا يزحفون إلينا زحفا، ليقاتلونا

So-and-so's family approached us, with an approach: when they began to crawl towards us, to fight us.

أزحف البعير: أعيا، فقام على صاحبه

The camel became exhausted: it grew weary and stood up on its owner.

أن راحلته أزحفت من الإعياء

That his mount became exhausted from weariness.

كأن أوب مساحي القوم فوقهم طير تعيف على جون مزاحيف

As if the digging tools of the people were above them, birds alighting on slow-moving camels.

وتزاحفوا في القتال: إذا تدانوا

And they drew near each other in battle: when they approached closely.

الزحاف، ككتاب، في الشعر: هو أن يسقط بين الحرفين حرف

Al-zahaaf, like kitaab, in poetry: it is the dropping of a letter between two letters.

وتزحف إليه: تمشى

And he moved slowly towards him: he walked.

ازدحف القوم: إذا مشى بعضهم إلى بعض

The people moved towards each other: when some of them walked towards others.

والصبي يتزحف على الأرض، وفي التهذيب: على بطنه: ينسحب قبل أن يمشي

And the child crawls on the ground, and in al-Tahdheeb: on his belly: he drags himself before he walks.

ومزاحف القوم: مواضع قتالهم

And the places of combat for the people: their battlegrounds.

وزحف في المشي، يزحف، زحفا، وزحفانا أعيا

And he moved slowly in walking, he moves slowly, with crawling and with slow movement, he became exhausted.

وإبل زحف، بضمتين: جمع زحوف، كصبور

And camels zahaf, with two dammahs: plural of zuhuuf, like sabuur.

ومشيه زحفان: فيه ثقل حركة

And his walking is zahaafan: it has a heaviness of movement.

وأزحف الإبل طول السفر: أكلها فأعياها

And the long journey exhausted the camels: it consumed them and made them weary.

وأزحف الرجل: أعيت دابته وإبله، وكل معي لا حراك به زاحف، ومزحف

And the man became exhausted: his mount and his camels became weary, and every weary one unable to move is zaahif, and mazhuuf.

وأزحفت عليه راحلته، بالضم: إذا وقفت منه

And his mount stopped for him, with dammah: when it stopped for him.

وسحاب مزحف: بطئ الحركة، لما احتمله من كثرة الماء

And clouds mazhuuf: slow-moving, due to the abundance of water they carry.

ويقال: أزحفت الريح الشجر حتى زحف: حركته حركة لينة

And it is said: the wind made the trees move until they crawled: it moved them with a gentle movement.

والزاحف والزاحك: المعيي، يقال للذكر وللأنثى، ويجمع: الزواحف، والزواحك

And al-zaahif and al-zaahik: the exhausted one, said for male and female, and pluralized: al-zawaahif, and al-zawaahik.

والزاحف: السهم يقع دون الغرض، ثم يزحف إليه، وهو مجاز

And al-zaahif: the arrow falls short of the target, then it crawls towards it, and this is metaphorical.

فسره، فقال: زاحف: اسم بعير

He explained it, and said: Zaahif: 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 crawling camel, meaning: weary, and not a proper name for a camel.

والزحافة، بالتشديد: ما يزحف به البيت، لغة مصرية

And al-zahafah, with shaddah: what the house is slid with, an Egyptian language.