כָּפַף (b. h.) 1) to bend, curve. Gen. R. s. 87, end כּוֹפֶפֶת אני את קומתך … כְּפוּפִים (Potiphar’s wife said to Joseph) I shall bend thy proud stature (humiliate thee with slave labor); said he, The Lord erects those who are bowed down. B. Kam. 55ᵇ הכּוֹפֵף … בפני וכ׳ he who bends his neighbor’s grain stalks before the fire (so as to make them catch fire). Num. R. s. 6, beg. נביא כופף ידיו וכ׳ the prophet must bend his hands and feet to sit before (surrender his power to) the high priest; (Y. Hor. III, 48ᵇ bot. מְכַפֵּת). Cant. R. beg. לָכוֹף אזניך וכ׳ to bend thy ear and listen; a. fr.—Part. pass. כָּפוּף, f. כְּפוּפָה, pl. כְּפוּפִים, כְּפוּפִין; כְּפוּפוֹת. Sabb. 17ᵃ היה הלל כ׳ ויושב וכ׳ Hillel sat bent (in submission) before Shammai. Gen. R. l. c., v. supra. R. Hash. III, 4 בשל זכרים כ׳ with bent horns of rams. Yalk. Ex. 276 דווים וכ׳ suffering and humbled (v. סָגַף, סָחַף); a. fr.—Esp. the curved letters כ, נ, פ, צ, opp. פשוט the straight-lined, the shape of the final letters. Sabb. 104ᵃ (symbolization of letters) נו"ן כ׳ … נ̇אמן כ׳ וכ׳ Nun bent, Nun straightened, faithful when bent (in distress), faithful when straightened (raised up) &c. Ib. 103ᵇ כ׳ פשוטין וכ׳ that one must not write the curved letters straightened &c. —2) to bend, force, conquer. Y. Snh. I, 18ᵃ bot. מומחה שכ׳ ודן an authorized judge that forced (the law requiring three judges) and judged singly. Y. Yeb. XII, 12ᶜ ר׳ יצחק כ׳ R. J. forced (the law requiring three judges for ḥălitsah); ib. הא רבן כ׳ it was our teacher who did it. Keth. 4ᵇ אין לָכוֹף וכ׳ … no husband dares force his wife (in mourning) to paint &c. Num. R. s. 14 (play on כף) זה אברהם שכַּף את יצרו וכ׳ (some ed. שכפף) that refers to Abraham who conquered his inclinations &c. —3) to invert, upset. Y. Ber. III, 6ᵃ top גרמתני לכוֹפְפָהּ thou didst cause me to upset it (the divine image), v. כָּפָה; (M. Kat. 15ᵇ ובעונותיכם הפכתיה). Y. l. c. מטות כְּפוּפוֹת = כְּפוּיוֹת, v. כָּפָה; a. fr.—[Num. R. s. 10 כפפתו אימו, read כפתתו, v. כָּפַת.—Sabb. 106ᵃ הסיט כפוף Ar., ed. כָּפוּל, v. סיט.] —4) to bend one’s self upon, to take pains (cmp. כְּפַל). Cant. R. to I, 17 כפפתי לעקור וכ׳ I took pains to destroy the passion for idolatry.
    Nif. - נִכְפַּף to be bent. Pesik. R. s. 28 [read:] עד שנִכְפְּפָה קומתם וכ׳ so that their statures were bent under their load. Arakh. 19ᵃ שרביט שאינו נכפף a staff (of gold or silver) which cannot be bent. Num. R. s. 5, end נִכְפְּפָה היריעה וכ׳ the curtain around the Ark was bent aside (prob. to be read נכפלה). B. Kam. 61ᵃ בנִכְפֶּפֶת when the fire is diverted from its course through the wind; (oth. opin.: when the fire is subdued (low) and creeping over the plants on the ground), opp. קולחת or קודחת. Cant. R. to I, 17. Pesik. R. s. 14 שתי השערות נִכְפָּפוֹת (not … פים) the two hairs (on the neck) are bent, opp. נזקפות; a. e.