سلحفسُلَحْفَى (Az, Msb, K) and سُلْحَفَى, (Fr, K,) pronounced by the vulgar سِلْحَفَى, (TA,) and سُلَحْفَاةٌ [which is the most common of the dial. vars.] (S, Msb, K) and سَِحْفَاةٌ (Fr, K) and سُلْحَفَاةٌ, (Msb,) and سُلَحْفَآءُ, (Az, Msb, K,) and سُلَحْفِيَةٌ, (S, K,) [The tortoise, commonly so called; and also the turtle, or sea-tortoise; applied to both in the present day;] a certain wellknown beast; (K;) [and] a certain aquatic animal; (Msb;) called in Pers\. بَاخَهْ and كَشَفْ (MA, PS) and سَنْگْ پُشْتْ; (MA;) applied to the male and the female: (Msb:) pl. سَلَاحِفُ: (S, Msb:) or, accord. to Fr, the male of the سَلَاحِف is called غَيْلَمٌ; and the female is called سلحفاة in the dial. of Benoo-Asad: (Msb:) [it is said to be derived from the Pers\. سولاخ پاى; because there is a hole in the body, into which the foot enters: (Freytag's Lex.:)] its blood and its gall-bladder are [asserted to be] beneficial to him who is affected with epilepsy; and the smearing with its blood, to the joints; (K, TA;) which thereby become strong: (TA:) and it is said that when the cold has become intense in a place, (K, TA,) and one fears for the seedproduce from it, (TA,) and this beast is placed upside-down, so that its fore and hind legs are towards the air, the cold will not alight upon that place. (K, TA.) b2:  [السُّلَحْفَاةُ or السُّلْحَفَاةُ is also a name of (tropical:)  The constellation Lyra; commonly  called الشَّلْيَاقُ.]