פָּחַת 1) to hollow out, dig. Bets. IV, 4 (32ᵃ) אין פּוֹחֲתִין את הנר (Mish. פיתחין, corr. acc.) you must not hollow out a lump of clay to make it a candlestick (on the Holy Day). Ib. 3 פּיֹחֵת לכתחלה he may start to dig out (take out closely packed fruit), v. infra. Mikv. IV, 5 פְּחָתוּהָ they hollowed it out (widened the aperture in the rock through which the water came forth); Y. Yeb. I, end, 3ᵇ (Bab. ib. 15ᵃ הרחיבוה). Mikv. l. c. עד שיִפְחוֹת רובה (ed. Dehr. a. Mish. ed. עד שיִפְחֲתוּ) until the larger portion of the aperture is chiselled out; Y. Yeb. l. c. שיפחות את רובה; Bab. ib. l. c. שתִּיפָּחֵת ברובה; a. e. —2) to diminish, lessen, decrease, opp. הוסיף. Mekh. Yithro, Baḥod., s. 2 שלא תִפְחוֹת ולא תוסיף from which you must not diminish, and to which you must not add. Sabb. 21ᵇ פּוֹחֵת והולך one kindles one light less every night. Meg. IV, 1, sq. אין פּוֹחֲתִין וכ׳ we call up no less (than the number named) nor more. Y. Yeb. IV, 6ᵃ bot. חמרתה (ה) פּוֹחֶתֶת אינה פוחתת וכ׳ a sheass, if short (whose period of pregnance is the shortest possible) gives birth not earlier than a lunar year from conception, if long, not later than a solar year; Y. Nidd. I, 49ᵇ top. Pes. X, 1 ולא יִפְחֲתוּ לו מארבע וכ׳ and they must give him (the poor man) no less than four cupfuls of wine. B. Kam. 85ᵇ שבת הפּוֹחֲתַתּוֹ בדמים (not הפח׳) if the idleness enforced by being wounded has also the effect of lessening his value (if he were to be sold as a slave). Shek. V, 4 אם פָּחֲתוּ פחתו לו Y. ed. (differ. in Mishn. ed.) if money is missing, the loss is his. Tanḥ. R’eh 10 פ׳ הוא עשרה ופָחֲתָה היא וכ׳ he gave ten measures less as tithe, and it (the field) yielded one hundred less; Yalk. Deut. 892; a. v. fr.—[Tanḥ. l. c. מי פחת, v. next w.]—V. פָּחוּת.
    Pi. - פִּיחֵת same, 1) to diminish, lessen. Ter. IV, 4 פי׳ עשרה וכ׳ (Y. ed. פחת) if he set aside as T’rumah ten fractions less (than 1/50, i.e. 1/60), or ten fractions more (i.e. 1/40), Maim.; [R. S. if he reduced the divisor by ten (i.e. set aside 1/40), or increased the divisor by ten (i.e. set aside 1/60); Y. ib. 42ᵈ bot. הפּוֹחֵת אחד מעשרה. —2) to be diminished, lose. Lev. R. s. 2 כלום פי׳ כבודי וכ׳ has my glory or my majesty lost anything &c.?
    Nif. - נִפְחַת 1) to be hollowed out, broken through. Yeb. 15ᵃ שתִּיפָּחֵת, v. supra. Ḥull. 45ᵃ נִפְחֲתָה כדלת if a piece of the windpipe is broken through in the shape of a door (split on three sides and attached by the fourth side). Bets. IV, 3 בית … ונ׳ a room which was packed with fruits and closed up (with bricks), and which was burst open (the bricks giving way to the pressure), v. supra. —2) to be reduced in size, numbers &c.; to be lowered. Succ. 18ᵃ בית שנ׳ a building which has been reduced (the walls of which have given way partly). Sot. 5ᵃ bot. כל אדם … לבסוף נ׳ every man in whom there is haughtiness, will finally be lowered; a. e.
    Hif. - הִפְחִית 1) to lessen, wear out, damage. Y. B. Mets. II, 8ᵈ top כלי נחשׁת … מפני שמַפְחִיתָן if one found copper vessels (keeping them until the owner be found), he may use them for hot water, but not over fire, because he wears them out; (Bab. ib. 30ᵃ שמשחיקן); a. e. —2) (denom. of פָּחוּת) to become less, be damaged. Succ. 18ᵇ ה׳ דופן אמצעי if the middle wall (of a Succah) became reduced (fell in, v. supra); a. e.