عف1 عَفَّ, (S, O, Msb, K, &c.,) aor. ـِ (S, O, Msb,) inf. n. عِفَّةٌ and عَفَافٌ (S, O, Msb, K) and عَفٌّ and عَفَافَةٌ, (S, O, K,) He abstained (S, O, Msb, K) from (عن) what was unlawful, (S, O,) or from what was not lawful nor comely or decorous, (M, K,) or from things that should be sacred or inviolable, and base, or carnal, objects of inordinate desire, (TA,) or from a thing: (Msb:) [but it is implied in the K that the verb is used without the expression of the object, or objects; and it is very often so used, as meaning he was abstinent, continent, chaste, virtuous, modest, decent, or decorous:] and ↓ استعفّ signifies the same; (K;) as also ↓ تعفّف: (Msb, K:) or this last signifies, (S, O,) or signifies also, (K,) he affected, or constrained himself, to abstain from what was unlawful: (S, O, K:) or he was patient, and kept himself remote, or aloof, from a thing [that was unlawful or the like]: (TA:) and عَنِ المَسْأَلَةِ ↓ استعفّ means he abstained (عَفَّ) from begging: (S, O:) whence the trad. of the Prophet اِسْتَعْفِفْ عَنِ السُّؤَالِ مَا اسْتَطَعْتَ [Abstain thou from begging, as much as thou art able]: (O:) or, as some say, الاِسْتِعْفَافُ signifies the seeking to abstain from what is unlawful, and from begging of men: and one says also, عَنِ ↓ اعتفّ القَبِيحِ [he abstained from that which was evil, or foul]; this being [likewise] from العِفَّةُ. (TA.) A2:  عَفَّ said of milk, aor. ـِ (IDrd, O, K,) inf. n. عَفٌّ, (IDrd, O,) It collected in the udder: (IDrd, O, K:) or it remained in the udder; (K;) or thus عَفَّ فِى الضَّرْعِ. (Ibn-'Abbád, O.) 2 عَفَّفْتُهُ, inf. n. تَعْفِيفٌ, I gave him to drink what is termed عُفَافَة [q. v.]. (IDrd, O, K.) 4 اعفّهُ اللّٰهُ God made him to be عَفِيف [i. e. abstinent, &c.]. (S, O, Msb, K.) A2:  أَعَفَّتْ, [in the CK, erroneously, اُعِفَّت,] said of a ewe, or she-goat, is from العُفَافَةُ [and therefore signifies She had milk collected in her udder: or she had some milk remaining in her udder after most of it had been sucked]. (IDrd, O, K.) 5 تعفّف: see 1.A2:  Also He (a man, S, O) drank what is termed عُفَافَة [q. v.]. (S, O, K.) 6 تَعَافَّ نَاقَتَكَ Milk thou thy camel after the first milking. (S, O, L, K.) b2:  And تعافّ said  to a sick man, Treat thyself medically. (K.) One says, بِأَىِّ شَىْءٍ نَتَعَافُّ With what thing shall we treat ourselves medically ? (AA, O, TA.) 8 إِعْتَفَ3َ see 1. b2:  اعتفّت الإِبِلُ اليَبِيسَ The camels took with the tongue [or licked up] the dry herbage above the earth or dust, taking the best, or choice, thereof; as also ↓ استعفّت. (O, K.) 10 إِسْتَعْفَ3َ see 1, in two places: b2:  and see also 8.عَفٌّ; and its fem.: see عَفيِفٌ.عُفَّةٌ: see عُفَافَةٌ.A2:  Also An old woman: (Ibn-El-Faraj, O, K, TA:) like عُثَّةٌ: being formed [from the latter] by substitution. (TA.) A3:  and A certain fish, smooth, white, and small; when  cooked, having a taste like that of rice. (Ibn-ElFaraj, O, K.) عِفَافٌ A medicine, or remedy. (AA, O, K.) عَفِيفٌ and ↓ عَفٌّ epithets from عَفَّ, as such signifying Abstaining (S, O, Msb, K) from what is unlawful, (S, O,) or from what is not lawful nor comely or decorous, (K,) or from things that should be sacred or inviolable, and base, or carnal, objects of inordinate desire, (TA,) or from a thing: (Msb:) [and very often used as meaning abstinent, continent, chaste, virtuous, modest, decent, or decorous:] fem. of the former with ة; (S, O, K;) and so of ↓ the latter, (S, O, Msb, K,) which has no broken pl.: (TA:) the pl. masc. (of عَفِيفٌ, Msb, TA) is أَعِفَّآءُ (O, Msb, K, TA) and أَعِفَّةٌ: (Msb, TA:) عَفِيفَةٌ, applied to a woman, signifies excellent, or high-born, good, righteous, or virtuous; and [more commonly] continent, or chaste; (TA;) and the pl. of this is عَفَائِفُ and عَفِيفَاتٌ. (O, K.) عُفَافَةٌ is the subst. from عَفَّ said of milk: (O, K:) so says IDrd: (O:) [accord. to him, it app. signifies Milk that has collected in the udder:] and it signifies (S, O, K) accord. to another or others, (O,) as also ↓ عُفَّةٌ, somewhat of milk remaining in the udder (S, O, K) after most of it has been sucked. (O, K.) b2:  And F explains العُفَافَةُ, with damm, by the words أَنْ تَأْخُذَ الشَّىْءِ بَعْدَ الشَّىْءِ فَأَنْتَ تَعْتَفُّهُ [as though signifying The taking thing after thing, by licking it up, or otherwise, from the ground, choosing the best thereof: but this mode of explanation is often used in lexicons to denote the thing, or things, mentioned therein; not the act: and I think that what is here meant is the thing, or things, thus taken: this, moreover, is agreeable with the general analogy of words of the measure فُعَالَةٌ; as is shown by many exs. in the Mz, 40th نوع]. (TA.) جَآءَ عَلَى عِفَّانِ ذٰلِكَ He (a man, S, O) came at the time of that: (S, O, K: *) a dial. var. of إِفَّان: (S, O:) or, accord. to IF, formed [from the latter] by substitution. (O.)