כִּרְכִּם (reduplic. of כרם) 1) to draw a circle; denom. כַּרְכּוֹם II. 2) (cmp. כְּרוּם) to paint, varnish; to polish, bronze. Kel. XV, 2 סירקן או כִרְכְּמָן if he painted or varnished the boards. Ib. XXII, 9 כופת שסירקו או כִרְכְּמוֹ וכ׳ a block which one painted or varnished so as to give it a distinguishable surface. Ḥull. 25ᵇ לכַרְכֵּם Ar. to polish or bronze (metal vessels), v. כִּרְכֵּב. Tosef. Kel. B. Mets. VI, 1 ואם … לכרכם עד שיְכַרְכֵּם if he intends to varnish (the leather goods), they cannot become unclean until he has varnished them. Cant. R. beg. סיתתה וכִירְכְּמָהּ he chiseled and polished the stone, v. מָרַק.—כ׳ פנים [to braze the face,] to be bold, defiant (cmp. יָרַק). Y’lamd. to Num. XX, 8 quot. in Ar. והוא מְכִרְכֵּם פניו כנגדן (some ed. Ar. מכרכס, (v. Koh. Ar. Compl. s. v.) and he (Moses) defied them; Yalk. Num. 763 נִתְכַּרְכְּמוּ פניו, v. infra.—Part. pass. מְכוּרְכָּם פנים מְכוּרְכָּמוֹת; green, pale face. Gen. R. s. 99 יצאו ופניהם מכ׳ they went out pale-faced (abashed).—Denom. כַּרְכּוֹם I.
Nithpa. - נִתְכַּרְכֵּם (denom. of כַּרְכּוֹם I, cmp. יָרַק), with פנים 1) to look saffron-like, pale, abashed, grieved. Gen. R. s. 20 נִתְכַּרְכְּמוּ פניו he turned pale. Y. Snh. I, 19ᵃ bot. Pesik. Par. p. 38ᵃ; Num. R. s. 19 (some ed. נתכרמו, corr. acc.).—Midr. Till. to Ps. XVIII, 35 ופניו מִתְכַּרְכְּמִין and his (Abraham’s) face turned pale (from jealousy); Yalk. Sam. 162 ופני אברהם מִתְכַּרְכְּמוֹת. —2) to become bronze-colored. Cant. R. to I, 6 נתכ׳ פניו his face was tanned (from exposure to the sun; Yalk. ib. 982 נפחם). —3) to become angry, defiant. Yalk. Num. 763, v. supra.