دَلَفَ, (T, Ṣ, M, Ḳ,) aor. ـِ {يَدْلِفُ}, (T, M, Ḳ,) inf. n. دَلِيفٌ (T, Ṣ, M, Ḳ) and دَلَفٌ (T, M, Ḳ) and دَلْفٌ (Ḳ) and دَلَفَانٌ (M, Ḳ) and دُلُوفٌ, (M, TA,) He walked, or went, gently, or leisurely: (Ṣ, M:) said of an old man, (Aṣ, T, Ṣ, Ḳ,) he walked, or went, (Aṣ, T, Ṣ, M, Ḳ,) with short steps, (Ṣ, M,) or in the manner of him who is shackled, (Ḳ,) as some say, (M,) at a rate above that which is termed دَبِيبٌ, (Aṣ, T, M, Ḳ,) like as does the army, or body of troops, to the [other] army, or body of troops. (Aṣ, T.) You say, دَلَفَتِ الكَتِيبَةُ إِلَى الكَتِيبَةِ فِى الحَرْبِ (T, Ṣ,* M, Ḳ *) meaning The army, or body of troops, went gently, or leisurely, to the [other] army, or body of troops, in war: (M:) or advanced, or went forward; syn. تَقَدَّمَت: (Ṣ, Ḳ:) [for] دَلَفٌ (T, M) accord. to AʼObeyd, or دَلْفٌ accord. to AA, (T,) signifies the act of advancing, or going forward; syn. تَقَدُّمٌ: (T, M:) and one says دَلَفْنَاهُمْ, (Ṣ, Ḳ,) or دَلَفْنَا لَهُمْ, (M, and so in one place in the TA,) meaning [as is implied in the Ṣ and Ḳ] we advanced to them; syn. تَقَدَّمْنَا: (M:) and دَلَفَ إِلَيْهِ he drew near to him, or it. (TA.) دَلَفْتُ also signifies مَشَيْتُ [i.e. I walked; or went on foot, whether quickly or slowly]: (Ḥam p. 678:) and [in like manner,]تدلّف↓ إِلَيْهِ signifies مَشَى [he walked,, &c., to him, or it]: (O, TA:) or this latter signifies تَمَشَّى [said in the TA, in art. مشى, to be syn. with مَشَى; but it rather signifies he walked with slow steps to him, or it]; and approached, or drew near: (Ṣ, Ḳ:) but AʼObeyd says that تَزَلَّفَ is more common. (M.)

Hence, the saying of a poet,

* دَلَفْتُ إِلَى صَمِيمِكَ بِالقَوَافِى *

meaning † I have wounded thy heart with rhymes. (Ḥam ubi suprá.)

[The verb seems to bear two contr. significations; for it is said that] دَلَفَ لِٱلْتِزَامِى means He hastened to take me by the hand and embrace me. (Ḥar p. 368.)

دَلَفَ بِحِمْلِهِ, aor. ـِ {يَدْلِفُ}, inf. n. دَلِيفٌ, He (one carrying a thing) was heavily burdened, or overburdened, by his load [so that he went slowly]. (M.)

You say of a she-camel, تَدْلِفُ بِحَمْلِهَا, meaning She rises [app. with difficulty (see دَالِفٌ)] with her load. (T,* Ibn-ʼAbbád, Ḳ.)

And دَلَفَ المَالُ, aor. ـِ {يَدْلِفُ}, inf. n. دَلِيفٌ, The camels, or cattle, clave to the ground by reason of emaciation. (M, TA.)

ادلفهُ It (old age) made him to walk, or go, gently, or leisurely; with short steps; [or in the manner of him who is shackled; (see 1;)] at a rate above that which is termed دَبِيبٌ. (IAạr, M.)

ادلف لَهُ القَوْلَ i. q. أَضْخَمَ لَهُ, (Ibn-ʼAbbád, Ḳ,*) He spoke to him in a rough, harsh, coarse, rude, uncivil, or ungentle, manner. (TḲ.)

اندلف عَلَىَّ i. q. اِنْصَبَّ [app. as meaning It poured out, or forth, upon me]. (Ibn-ʼAbbád, Ḳ.)

دِلْفٌ Courageous; brave; strong-hearted. (AA, T, Ḳ.)

دُلُفٌ A she-camel (Ibn-ʼAbbád, Ḳ) that rises [app. with difficulty (see دَالِفٌ)] with her load. (T, Ibn-ʼAbbád, Ḳ.)

It is also a pl. of دَالِفٌ: (Ḳ:) and of دَلُوفٌ. (TA.)

دُلْفِينٌ [The dolphin;] a certain fish, (T,) or beast, (Ṣ, Ḳ, [app. thus termed because it is a mammal,]) of the sea, (T, Ṣ, Ḳ,) that saves him who is drowning; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) also called دُخَسٌ; and abounding in the Sea of Dimyát [or Damietta]. (TA.)

الدُّلْفِينُ † [The constellation Delphinus;] one of the northern constellation, which comprises ten stars, and follows النَّسْرُ الطَّائِرُ [α and β and γ of Aquila]: the bright star on its tail is called ذَنَبُ الدُّلْفِينِ. (Ḳzw.)

دَلُوفٌ ‡ A fat camel, that walks, or goes, gently, or leisurely, or with short steps, or in the manner of him who is shackled, by reason of his fatness: pl. دُلُفٌ, with two dammehs. (TA.)

And ‡ A palm-tree (نَخْلَةٌ) having much fruit. (TA.)

Also † A swift eagle: (IAạr, M, Ḳ:) pl. دُلْفٌ [perhaps a contraction of دُلُفٌ, an analogous form of pl.]. (Ḳ.) [Thus it bears two contr. significtions]

دَالِفٌ An old man that walks, or goes, gently, or leisurely, or with short steps, or in the manner of him who is shackled: (TA:) walking with a heavy load, with short steps; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) like دَالِحٌ: (Ṣ:) pl. دُلَّفٌ (Ṣ, Ḳ) and دُلُفٌ (Ḳ) and دُلَّافٌ: (TA:) and دَوَالِفُ [as pl. of دَالِفَةٌ] is applied to old women. (TA.)

† Old, and rendered lowly, humble, or submissive, by age. (M.)

‡ An arrow that hits a thing in the way to the butt, or object of aim, and then glances off from the place thereof. (Ṣ, Ḳ, TA.)

مُتَدَلِّفٌ: see what follows.

مُنْدَلِفٌ andمُتَدَلِّفٌ↓ A lion walking at his ease, (Ḳ, TA,) without haste, and with short steps, because of his presumptuousness, and lack of fear. (TA.)