עָפָר, עפר to be thick, dust, mud, sand, mortar. Gen. R. s. 14 (ref. to Gen. II, 7) ע׳ זכר אדמה נקבה היוצר מביא ע׳ זכר וכ׳ ‘afar represents the male element, ădamah, the female; the potter takes male dust (coarse sand) and female earth (soft clay), in order that the vessels be strong. Sot. II, 2 נוטל ע׳ מתחתיה he (the priest) takes earth from under it (the marble slab). Ib. 16ᵃ מצינו אפר שקרוי ע׳ we find that ashes are likewise called ‘afar; Ḥull. 88ᵇ; Gen. R. s. 49ᵇ. Ib. עֲפַר סוטה the dust used in preparing the Water of Jealousy; עֲ׳ כיסוי the earth or ashes used for covering up the blood at slaughtering (Lev. XVII, 13); Num. R. s. 9. Ib. זכתה … ואנכי ע׳ ואפר לא זכתה תחזור לעַפְרָהּ if she is worthy (innocent), let a son descend from her like Abraham, of whom it is written, ‘And I am dust and ashes’ (Gen. XVIII, 27); if she is unworthy, let her return to her native dust. Ib. עֲ׳ זהב העגל the gold dust of the calf. Y. B. Mets. VIII, end, 11ᵈ ע׳ שחור black potter’s earth; a. fr.—Gen. R. s. 94 עַפְרוֹ של יצחק (ed. Wil. אֶפְרוֹ), v. אֵפֶר.—Pl. עֲפָרוֹת, constr. עַפְרוֹת. Num. R. l. c. (ref. to ומן העפר, Num. V, 17) [read:] זהו ע׳ הזהב אשר טחן this refers to the gold dust which he (Moses) made by grinding (Deut. IX, 21). Gen. R. s. 26 שהיו בקיאים בע׳ וכ׳ they were experts on the qualities of soil like serpents; a. e.