כָּחַשׁ (b. h.; cmp. כחד; cmp. חֲסִי, חַסְיָא &c.) 1) to fail, be reduced, be lean, opp. בריא, שמן. B. Kam. 34ᵃ כ׳ כשעת וכ׳ if the injured ox became reduced after being wounded, damage is assessed according to the value at the time of standing before court; Y. ib. III, end, 3ᵈ הִכְחִישׁ. Gen. R. s. 53 (ref. to Hab. III, 17) כּוֹחֲשִׁים היו (Sarah’s face) was haggard (and the announcement of the angels made it shine like olive oil); Yalk. Hab. 565 כְּחוּשִׁים; [oth. interpret., v. infra].—Part. pass. כָּחוּשׁ, f. כְּחוּשָה; pl. כְּחוּשִׁים, כְּחוּשׁוֹת lean, reduced, weak. Snh. 78ᵃ כח כ׳ a weak force. Ḥull. 97ᵃ (in Chald. diction). B. Kam. 6ᵇ אכל כ׳ if he ate fruits of a garden-bed with scanty fruits; Gitt. 48ᵇ; a. fr. —2) (cmp. כָּזַב) to be false. Gen. R. l. c. כּוֹחֲשִׁים היו were they (the angels) false (deceiving)?—
Hif. - הִכְחִישׁ 1) to be reduced, fail, deteriorate. Y. B. Kam. l. c., v. supra.—Meïl. 17ᵃ מי שיש … יַכְחִישׁ וכ׳ if you have an enemy, do you desire him to be weak or strong? Ib. ימולו … ויַכְחִישׁוּ let their children be circumcised …, and they will become weak. Yeb. 34ᵇ ויַכְחִישׁ יופיה her beauty may be ruined. Y. M. Kat. I, beg. 80ᵃ עמדה מלהַכְחִישׁ if the field ceased to deteriorate; a. e. —2) to lessen, reduce, ruin, weaken. Gitt. 70ᵃ ג׳ … מַכְחִישִׁים כחו וכ׳ three things lessen a man’s energies. Snh. 84ᵇ הִכְחִישָׁחּ באבנים he ruined the animal by loading stones upon her (without causing a wound). Y. B. Kam. l. c. הִכְחִישׁוֹ חמשים וכ׳ he lessened his (the ox’s) value by fifty Zuz. Esth. R. to I, 1 (play on אח̇ש̇ור̇ש̇) שהכח̇יש̇ ר̇אש̇ן וכ׳ he caused haggardness to the heads of &c. Sabb. 22ᵃ מַכְחִישׁ מצוה he impairs the religious act (lessens the brightness of the Ḥănuckah lights). Snh. 67ᵇ; Ḥull. 7ᵇ, v. כְּשָׁפִים; a. fr.—[Yalk. Ps. 627 אַכְחֵישׁ, v. כָּעַס.] —3) to declare false, deny, contradict, v. הַכְחָשָׁה. Keth. 20ᵃ כשם שאין מזימין … אין מַכְחִישִׁין וכ׳ as an evidence of alibi cannot be taken up except by confrontation, so cannot contradictory evidence &c. Ber. 27ᵇ יכול החי להַבְחִישׁ וכ׳ can the living contradict the living? Gen. R. s. 48, beg. מפני מה אתה מַכְחִישֵׁנִי וכ׳ why dost thou contradict me (declare me wrong) in the presence of my servant?—Sifra introd., v. כָּרַע; a. fr.