נְפֵישׁ (interch. with פּוּשׁ a. פְּשֵׁי, q. v.) 1) [to be blown up,] to be large; to increase. Targ. Ex. I, 7; a. e. Imper. פּוּשׁ. Targ. Gen. I, 28; a. e.— *2) [to be blown away,] to be gone. B. Bath. 121ᵃ; Ned. 78ᵃ אתא לנהרדעא … נ׳ Ar. (ed. ולא אשכחיה) he came to N. to see R. S.; he was gone.
Af. - אַפֵּישׁ (interch. with אָפֵישׁ, a. אַפְשֵׁי) to extend, enlarge. Targ. Gen. XLVIII, 4 (some ed. מַפְשִׁי׳). Targ. Y. Num. XIX, 6 אַפּוּשֵׁי; a. fr.—Men. 23ᵇ דא׳ לה תבלין טפי וכ׳ when he made the quantity of spices larger than &c. Bets. 7ᵃ אַפּוּשֵׁי … לא מַפְּשִׁינָן (or אֲפוּשֵׁי … מַפְשִׁי׳) we must not extend the range of unclean things by rabbinical enactments. Sot. 26ᵃ אפושי … לא לִיפַּשׁ we ought not to increase the number of illegitimate births (by allowing intermarriage between bastards). B. Bath. 12ᵇ בעינא דא׳ אריסי (Rashi ניחא לי לאפושי) I desire (it is an advantage to me) to have a large number of tenants around me (whom my neighbor must employ). Ib. אפושי לאו מילתא היא this plea about a large number &c., is no plea; a. e.—Y. Kil. IX, 32ᶜ top; Y. Keth. XII, 35ᵇ top נַפֵּישׁ לר׳ וכ׳ let us make room for R. H.