ثقف1 ثَقُفَ, aor. ـُ inf. n. ثَقَافَةٌ; and ثَقِفَ, aor. ـَ inf. n. ثَقَفٌ (S, K) and ثَقْفٌ; (K;) He (a man, S) became skilled, or skilful; and light, active, quick, or sharp; and intelligent, or sagacious. (S, K, TA.) b2:  ثَقُفَ, aor. ـَ is also said of vinegar (خَلٌّ), meaning It was, or became, very acid; and so ثَقِفَ. (TA. [But I suspect that this may have been taken from a MS. in which خُلٌّ has been erroneously put for رَجُلٌ. In the JK, I find رَجُلٌ ثَقِيفٌ وَقَدْ ثَقُفَ ثَقَافَةً.]) A2:  ثَاقَفَهُ فَثَقَفَهُ, aor.  of the latter ثَقُفَ: see 3. b2:  ثَقَفْتُ الشَّىْءَ, aor. ـَ inf. n. ثَقَافَةٌ and ثُقُوفَةٌ, I was, or became, skilled in the thing. (Ham p. 772.) b3:  And ثَقْفٌ signifies The learning a thing quickly: [its verb is ثَقَفَ or ثَقِفَ:] you say, ثَقَفْتُ العِلْمَ فِى أَوْحَىمُدَّةٍ, and الصِّنَاعَةَ, I acquired knowledge, or the science, and the art, or handicraft, quickly [in the shortest period]: (TA:) and ثَقِفْتُ الحَدِيثَ I understood the narration, or tradition, &c., quickly. (Msb.) ثَقِفَهُ, aor. ـَ (S, Msb, K,) inf. n. ثَقْفٌ, (S, K, *) or ثَقَفٌ, (Msb,) [but the former is better known,] primarily signifies, He perceived it, or attained it, by knowledge, or by deed: (Bd ii. 187:) or he perceived it, or attained it, by his sight, by expertness in vision: and hence, (Er-Rághib, TA,) (tropical:)  he reached him, or overtook him, (IF, Msb, K, and Er-Rághib,) in war, or fight: (Msb:) or (K) (assumed tropical:)  he found him: (S, K, and Bd in ii. 187 &c.:) or (assumed tropical:)  he found him in the way of taking and overcoming: (Ksh in ii. 187:) or (K) (assumed tropical:)  he took him, or it, (Lth, Msb, K,) namely, a thing: (Msb:) or (K) by implication, (Bd in ii. 187,) (assumed tropical:)  he gained the victory, or mastery, over him; overcame him; (IDrd, Msb, K, and Bd ubi suprà;) or got possession of him. (IDrd, Msb, K.) It is said in the Kur [ii. 187 and iv. 93], وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ And slay ye them wherever ye find them: (Ksh, Bd, Jel, TA:) or wherever ye take them, or overcome them, or overtake them. (TA.) And exs. occur also in the Kur [iii. 108 and] viii. 59 and xxxiii. 61 [and lx. 2]. (TA.) For another ex., see 4, below. b4:  ثَقِفَهُ also signifies He thrust him, or pierced him, [with a spear or the like,] namely, a man. (Ham p. 772.) b5:  See also 2.2 ثقّفهُ, (S, Msb, K,) inf. n. تَثْقِيفٌ, (S, Mgh, K, KL,) He straightened it, or made it even, (S, Mgh, K, KL,) or straightened what was crooked thereof; (Msb;) namely, a spear, (S, KL,) [and a bow, (see ثِقَافٌ,)] or a crooked thing; with the ثِقَاف: (Mgh:) [and so ↓ ثَقَفَهُ, accord. to an explanation of the inf. n. ثَقْفٌ in the KL.] تَثْقِيفُ السَّهْمِ عَلَى القَوْسِ, as meaning The directing the arrow upon the bow straightly towards the object aimed at, is not approved. (Mgh.) b2:  Hence, (Mgh,) (tropical:)  He disciplined him, or educated him well, and amended him, or improved him. (Mgh, TA.) You say, لَوْلَا تَثْقِيفُكَ وَتَوْقِيفُكَ مَا كُنْتُ شَيْئًا (tropical:)  [But for thy disciplining, or good educating, and amending, or improving, and thy teaching, I had not been anything]. (TA.) b3:  You say also, of vinegar, يُثَقِّفُ الطَّعَامَ, i. e. It makes food acid. (Har p. 227.) 3 ثَاْقَفَ ↓ ثاقفهُ فَثَقَفَهُ, (K,) inf. n. of the former مُثَاقَفَةٌ and ثِقَافٌ, (TA,) and aor.  of the latter ثَقُفَ, (K,) He vied with him, or strove to surpass him, in skill, (K, TA,) and intelligence, or sagacity, and the perceiving, or attaining, of a thing, and the doing thereof, (TA,) and he surpassed him therein. (K, TA.) Er-Rághib says that this is metaphorical. (TA.) [Accord. to J,] المُثَاقَفَةُ is from ثَقُفَ in the first of the senses explained above. (S.) b2:  ثِقَافٌ also signifies The contending with another: and particularly in fight, or with the sword: (K: [see also ثَقْفٌ, below:]) and the using of, or performing with, the sword; like  ثِقَافَةٌ. (TA.) And ثاقفهُ, inf. n. مُثَاقَفَةٌ, He played with him with the sword, or some other weapon. (TA.) 4 أُثْقِفْتُهُ [I was made to gain the mastery over him, or to overcome him: or, which is virtually the same,] he was appointed for me [that I might have the mastery over him]. (Sgh, K.) 'Amr  Dhu-l-Kelb says, فَإِنْ أُثْقِفْتُمُونِى فَاقْتُلُونِىفَسَوْفَ تَرَوْنَ بَالِى ↓ وَإِنْ أَثْقَفْ And if ye [be made to] gain the mastery over me, i. e. if it be appointed for you to meet me [and overcome me], then slay me: but if I meet [you and overcome], then shall ye see my condition: but some relate it thus: وَمَنْ أَثْقَفْ, meaning but whom I meet, of you, I will slay him: (Skr, Sgh, TA:) [and J gives it thus:] فَإِمَّا تَثْقَفُونِى الخ [meaning And if ye meet me &c.]. (S.) 5 تثقّف (tropical:)  [He was, or became, disciplined, or educated well, and amended, or improved; quasipass. of 2, q. v.] You say, هَلْ تَثَقَّفْتُ إِلَّا عَلَى يَدِكَ (tropical:)  [Was I, or have I been, disciplined, &c., save by thy agency, or means?]. (A, TA.) 6 تثاقفوا They contended, or played, one with another, with swords, or other weapons. (TA.) ثَقْفٌ Skilled, or skilful; and light, active, quick, or sharp; and intelligent, or sagacious; as also ↓ ثَقِفٌ and ↓ ثَقُفٌ (S, K) and ↓ ثَقِيفٌ and ↓ ثِقِّيفٌ: (K:) or ↓ ثَقِيفٌ signifies quick in understanding a narration: (Msb:) and ↓ ثَقَافٌ, applied to a woman, intelligent, or sagacious. (K.) You say also رَجُلٌ ثَقْفٌ لَقْفٌ and لَقِفٌ ↓ ثَقِفٌ, meaning A man who is a relater, a poet, an archer or a caster of the spear &c.: (Lth, JK, TA:) or light, active, quick, or sharp, and skilful: (S and K in art. لقف:) or quick in understanding what is said to him; and in taking what is thrown to him: or skilful in his art, or handicraft: (TA in that art.:) or a man who keeps, preserves, or guards, and manages, or orders, well, that which he possesses: (ISk, TA:) and Lh adds لَقِيفٌ ↓ ثَقِيفٌ: and Ibn-'Abbád, لِقِّيفٌ ↓ ثِقِّيفٌ. (TA.) b2:  A man quick in taking, or seizing, his opponents, or adversaries. (Ksh ii. 187.) A2:  ثَقْفٌ, or (as it is written in one place in the TA) ↓ ثَقَفٌ, also signifies Contention: and particularly in fight, or with the sword: like ثِقَافٌ [inf. n. of 3, q. v.]. (TA.) ثَقَفٌ: see ثَقْفٌ.ثَقُفٌ: see ثَقْفٌ.ثَقِفٌ: see ثَقْفٌ, in two places.ثَقَافٌ: see ثَقْفٌ.ثِقَافٌ Skill, and intelligence, or sagacity; as also ↓ ثُقُوفَةٌ. (TA.) A2:  Also An instrument with which spears are straightened, (S, K, TA,) and bows also, (TA,) and [other] crooked things; (JK, Mgh, TA;) made of iron: (JK, TA:) or a strong piece of wood, a cubit in length, having at its extremity a hole large enough to admit the bow, [or the spear], which is inserted into it, and pinched and pressed in the part that requires this to be done until it becomes in the state that is desired; but this is not done to bows nor to spears until they have been greased, and prepared with fire, or exposed thereto so as to have become altered in colour: (AHn, TA:) the pl. [of pauc.] is أَثْقِفَةٌ and [of mult.] ثُقُفٌ. (JK, TA.) b2:  [Also The handle of a shield of the kind called حَجَفَة: see إِخَاذَةٌ.]ثَقِيفٌ: see ثَقْفٌ, in three places. b2:  Also Very acid; applied to vinegar; (K;) and so ↓ ثِقِّيفٌ, (S, K,) like حِرِّيفٌ applied to the onion. (S.) And أَبُو ثَقِيفٍ (tropical:)  Vinegar [itself]; so named because it makes food acid. (Har p. 227.) b3:  Also, and ↓ مَثْقُوفٌ, A thing skilled in. (Ham p. 772.) b4: And both these words, A man thrust or pierced [with a spear or the like]. (Ham ibid.) ثِقَافَةٌ The use of, or performance with, the sword; like ثِقَافٌ [inf. n. of 3, q. v.]. (TA.) You say, هُوَ حَسَنُ الثِّقَافَةِ بِالسَّيْفِ [He is good in respect of performance with the sword]. (TA.) ثُقُوفَةٌ: see ثِقَافٌ.ثِقِّيفٌ: see ثَقْفٌ, in two places: b2:  and see ثَقِيفٌ.أَثْقَفُ More, and most, skilled, or skilful, [in a general sense, and particularly] in contending, or playing, with the sword, or other weapon. (TA.) مُثَقَّفٌ A spear straightened, or made even. (TA.) [Accord. to Freytag, it is poetically used as signifying A spear itself; and so with ة.]مَثْقُوفٌ: see ثَقِيفٌ.