Core sense — wool, belonging to sheep; sea-weed resembling woolgenerated
1figurative · مجاز[An unskilful woman that has found wool]—خَرْقَآءُ وَجَدَتْ صُوفًا
[Wool;] something belonging to sheep, which is to them what شَعَرٌ is to goats and وَبَرٌ to camels. Defined in the S as لِلشَّاةِ, in the M as لِلْغَنَمِ, and, more definitely, in the O and Msb as لِلضَّأْنِ. In the K it is only said to be well known.
Ism waḥda صُوفَةٌ, which has a more particular meaning [a portion, flock, tuft, or wisp, of wool]; and sometimes صُوفٌ is used in the sense of the ism waḥda, as Sb mentions. The plural of صُوفٌ is أَصْوَافٌ [meaning sorts of wool], and the diminutive of the ism waḥda is صُوَيْفَةٌ.
such a one wears what is made of wool and of cotton—فُلَانٌ يَلْبَسُ الصُّوفَ وَالقُطْنَ
A proverb about property in the hands of someone who does not deserve to have it: the unskilful woman, when she comes upon wool, spoils it, not spinning it well. Applied to the stupid person who finds property and wastes it, or to one who finds something whose value he does not know, and wastes it.
In the saying of a poet: [Of one that is milked and ridden, that yields a row of bowls of her milk, (but see صَفُوفٌ, of which other explanations have been given,) that mingles camels' fur and wool]
shāhidحَلْبَانَةٍ رَكْبَانَةٍ صَفُوفِتَخْلِطُ بَيْنَ وَبَرٍ وَصُوفِ
The second half-line means, as Th says on the authority of IAar, that she is sold, and with her price camels and sheep are bought; or, according to As, that she is quick in her pace, the drawing back of her fore legs being likened to [the motion of] the bow of the نَدَّاف who mixes camels' fur and wool.
[I laid hold upon] the pendent hair in the hollow of the back of his neck—أَخَذْتُ بِصُوفِ رَقَبَتِهِ
In the M أَخَذَ; and one says also بِصُوفَتِهَا, بِصَافِهَا, بِطُوفِ رَقَبَتِهِ, بِطَافِهَا, بِظُوفِ زَقَبَتِهِ, بِظَافِهَا, بِقُوفِ رَقَبَتِهِ, and بِقَافِهَا.
[He gave it altogether]—أَعْطَاهُ بِصُوفِ رَقَبَتِهِ
Or the downy hairs upon the back of his neck; or the skin of his neck; or the back of his neck altogether; or I took him by force (Abu-l-Ghowth); or I followed him, thinking that I would not reach him, and overtook him — and this is said whether one lays hold of his neck or not (Abu-s-Semeyda').
Like أَعْطَاهُ بِرُمَّتِهِ; or, as A' Obeyd explains it, he gave it for nothing, taking no price.
1.1[lit. The wool of the sea] a substance in the form of the animal صُوف [i.e. of wool]—صُوفُ البَحْرِ
Evidently sea-weed resembling wool, of the kind found in abundance thrown up on the beaches of the Red Sea; and this is generally, if not in every instance, what the identical Hebrew word means as used in the Bible.
[I will not come to you as long as a sea wets a portion of صُوف]—لَا آتِيكَ مَا بَلَّ بَحْرٌ صُوفَةً
It is said in one of the أَبَدِيَّات [see ابد].
Or, as Lh relates it, مَا بَلَّ البَحْرُ صُوفَهُ [as long as the sea wets its صُوف, meaning, ever].
Show Lane's original text
[Wool;] an appertenance of sheep, (in the S لِلشَّاةِ , in the M لِلْغَنَمِ , and in the O and Msb [more definitely] لِلضَّأْنِ ,) which is to them like شَعَرٌ to goats and وَبَرٌ to camels: (M:) [in the K only said to be well know:] n. un. صُوفَةٌ , (M,) [i. e.] this latter has a more particular signification [meaning a portion, flock, tuft, or wisp, of wool]: (S, O, Msb, K:) and sometimes صُوفٌ is used in the sense of the n. un., as mentioned by Sb: (M:) the pl. of صُوفٌ is أَصْوَافٌ [meaning sorts of wool]: (M:) and the dim. of the n. un. is صُوَيْفَةٌ . (TA.) One says خَرْقَآءُ وَجَدَتْ صُوفًا [An unskilful woman that has found wool]: (As, O, K:) a prov. (As, O) relating to property possessed by such as does not deserve to have it: (As, TA:) because the unskilful woman, when she lights upon wool, mars it, (O, K,) not spinning it well: (O:) applied to the stupid person who finds property and wastes it; (O, K;) or to him who finds that of which he knows not the value, and wastes it. (Z, TA.) And one says, فُلَانٌ يَلْبَسُ الصُّوفَ وَالقُطْنَ , meaning Such a one wears what is made of wool and of cotton. (A, TA.) In the saying of a poet, 1 [Of one that is milked and ridden, that yields a row of bowls of her milk, (but see صَفُوفٌ , of which other explanations have been given,) that mingles camels' fur and wool], the latter hemistich means, as Th says, accord. to IAar, that is sold, and with the price whereof are purchased camels and sheep: or, accord. to As, that is quick in her pace; the drawing back of her fore legs being likened to [the motion of] the bow of the نَدَّاف who mixes camels' fur and wool. (M.) One says also, أَخَذْتُ بِصُوفِ رَقَبَتِهِ (S, M, K, but in the M أَخَذَ ,) and بِصُوفَتِهَا (M, O) and بِصَافِهَا , (M, K,) and بِطُوفِ رَقَبَتِهِ and بِطَافِهَا , and بِظُوفِ زَقَبَتِهِ and بِظَافِهَا , and بِقُوفِ رَقَبَتِهِ and بِقَافِهَا , (S, O,) meaning [I laid hold upon] the pendent hair in the hollow of the back of his neck: (IDrd, S, M, O, K:) or the downy hairs upon the back of his neck: (M, O:) or the skin of his neck: (IAar, S, O, K:) or the back of his neck, altogether: (Fr, S, O, K:) or I took him by force: (Abu-l-Ghowth, S, O, K:) or I followed him, thinking that I should not reach him, and overtook him; and this one says whether he lay hold upon his neck or not. (Abu-s-Semeyda', S, O, K.) And أَعْطَاهُ بِصُوفِ رَقَبَتِهِ [He gave it altogether]; like أَعْطَاهُ بِرُمَّتِهِ : or (as expl. by A' Obeyd, S, O) he gave it gratuitously; not taking a price. (S, O, K.) حَلْبَانَةٍ رَكْبَانَةٍ صَفُوفِ | تَخْلِطُ بَيْنَ وَبَرٍ وَصُوفِ صُوفُ البَحْرِ [lit. The wool of the sea] is a thing [or substance] in the form of the animal صُوف [i. e., of wool; evidently meaning sea-weed resembling wool; such as is found in abundance thrown up on the beaches of the Red Sea: and that this is generally, if not in every instance, meant by the identical Hebrew word , as used in the Bible, has been most satisfactorily shown in art. “ Red Sea ” (by my deeply-lamented nephew Edward Stanley Poole) in Dr. William Smith's “ Dictionary of the Bible ”]: it is said in one of the أَبَدِيَّات , [see art. ابد ,] لَا آتِيكَ مَا بَلَّ بَحْرٌ صُوفَةً [I will not come to thee as long as a sea wets a portion of صُوف ], or, as Lh relates it, مَا بَلَّ البَحْرُ صُوفَهُ [as long as the sea wets its صُوف ; meaning, ever]. (M, TA.)