חָצַף (cmp. חָסַף a. P. Sm. 1353 חצפא = ch. חספא) to peel off, bare; part. pass. חָצוּף (sub. אפיים); f. חֲצוּפָה 1) barefaced, impudent, arrogant. Snh. 3ᵃ ב"ד ח׳ an arrogant court (two sitting in judgment instead of three). Y. Taan. III, 66ᵈ top אחת ח׳ ואחת כשירה one was unabashed, the other chaste. Ned. 20ᵇ; a. e. —2) undaunted, energetic, strong. Tanḥ. Vayera 23 הנפש ח׳ היא the instinct of life is strong. Ex. R. s. 42 ג׳ חֲצוּפִים הם ח׳ בחיה וכ׳ (Bets. 25ᵇ עז) three (creatures) are persevering (undaunted by failure or opposition), among beasts it is the dog &c. Y. Taan. IV, 69ᵇ מה חציפה וכ׳ (read: חצו׳) how irrepressible is the Land of Israel that it still is productive (after all devastations).—Pl. חֲצוּפִים, f. חֲצוּפוֹת. Ex. R. l. c., v. supra.—Y. Ber. V, 8ᵈ bot. שעות הח׳ וכ׳ those irresistible, hard and evil times.
Hif. - הֶחֱצִיף to bare (one’s face), to act irreverently. Koh. R. to IX, 18 כל המַחֲצִיף פניו וכ׳ whoever speaks irreverently of &c. Ib. III, 9 מַחֲצִיפִין אתם you embolden yourselves.