ضأن

1 ضَأَنْتُ الضَّأْنَ  I set apart the sheep [from the goats]. (Az, TA, and K in art. معز.) One says, اِضْأَنْ ضَأْنَكَ وَامْعَزْ مَعْزَكَ Set apart thy sheep from the goats, and set apart thy goats from the sheep. (Az, TA.) 4 اضأن  , (S, M, K,) said of a man, (S,) or of a party of men, (M,) His, or their, ضَأْن [or sheep] became numerous. (S, M, K.) ضَأْنٌ  (S, M, Msb, K) and ↓ ضَأَنٌ (S, M, K) and ↓ ضَئِينٌ , (S, M, Msb, K,) which is also pronounced ↓ ضِئِينٌ , with kesr to the first letter because of the kesr following, agreeably with a general rule applying to a word [of the measure فَعِيلٌ] having any faucial letter [for its second radical], and ↓ ضِينٌ and ↓ ضَيْنٌ , which are mentioned by IAar, without ', and therefore extr., (M,) [Sheep;] such as have wool, of what are termed غَنَم; one of which is called ↓ ضَائِنٌ ; (Msb;) [i. e.] they are pls., (S, K,) or [rather] quasi-pl. ns., (M,) of ↓ ضَائِنٌ , (S, M, K,) which signifies one that has wool, (M,) or the opposite of مَاعِزٌ, (S, K,) of what are termed غَنَم: (M, K:) ضَأْنٌ is of the fem. gender; (IAmb, Msb;) and has for its pl. أَضْؤُنٌ [properly a pl. of pauc.] (IAmb, M, Msb) and آضُنٌ, which occurs in poetry, and is formed by transposition from أَضْؤُنٌ: (M:) the fem. of ↓ ضَائِنٌ is ضَائِنَةٌ; (S, M, Msb, K;) the pl. of which is ضَوَائِنُ. (S, M, K.) ― -b2- ضَأْنٌ also signifies A certain species of [the lizards called] ضِبَاب [pl. of ضَبٌّ]; opposed to the مَاعِز. (TA.) And A certain species of jerboas, also called شُفَارِىٌّ; (T voce تَدْمُرِىٌّ, q. v.; and TA in art. شفر;) differing from the مَاعِز thereof. (T and TA in art. دمر.) ضَأَنٌ  : see the next preceding paragraph. ضَيْنٌ  and ضِينٌ: see ضَأْنٌ. ضَأْنَةٌ  A [ring for the nose of a camel, such as is termed] خِزَامَة, when made of sinew. (Sh, K.) [But see ضَانَةٌ, in art. ضون.] ضِئْنِىٌّ  is an extr., distorted, rel. n. [from ضَأْنٌ]. (M.) You say مِعْزًى ضِئْنِيَّةٌ Goats that keep to the ضَأْن [or sheep]. (M.) And سِقَآءٌ ضِئْنِىٌّ A wide, (M,) or large, (K,) skin, of the hide of a sheep, (M, K,) in which [milk such as is termed] رَائِب is churned. (K.) ضَئِينٌ  and ضِئِينٌ: see ضَأْنٌ. ضَائِنٌ  : see ضَأْنٌ, in three places. ― -b2- It is also used as an epithet: one says كَبْشٌ ضَائِنٌ [app. meaning A ram: كَبْشٌ alone having several meanings]. (M.) ― -b3- And it signifies also (tropical:) Weak: (K, TA:) [opposed to مَاعِزٌ:] or a soft man, as though he were a ewe: (M, TA:) or one who ceases not to be goodly in body while a scanty eater: (M, K: *) or soft and flaccid in the belly. (M, K. *) ― -b4- And (assumed tropical:) Such as is white and broad, of sands. (K, TA.) Credit: Lane Lexicon