נָפַח (b. h.; cmp. פּוּחַ) 1) to blow, breathe. Y. Sabb. VII, 10ᵈ הנוֹפֵח כלי זכוכית he who shapes glass vessels by blowing (on the Sabbath); Bab. Sabb. 75ᵇ המְנַפֵּחַ בכלי וכ׳. Makhsh. I, 6 הנופח בעדשים וכ׳ he who breathes at lentils to ascertain their quality. Tosef. Sabb. XV (XVI), 2 נופח בחוטמו וכ׳ you blow into its nostrils and put the teat into its mouth; Sabb. 128ᵇ; Y. ib. XVIII, end, 16ᶜ מביא יין ונופח וכ׳ you take wine and squirt it &c. B. Mets. 60ᵇ אין נוֹפְחִין בקרביים it is not permitted to blow up entrails (for sale, to give them a delusive appearance); a. fr. —2) to be blown up, to swell. Tanḥ. K’dosh. 8 נָפְחוּ פניו his face was swollen. Ib. עיניו נְפוּחוֹת his eyes swollen.
Nif. - נִיפֵּחַ same. Sabb. 75ᵇ, v. supra. Maasr. IV, 5 מְנַפֵּיחַ … ואם ני׳ וכ׳ Y. ed. (Bab. ed. מנפח … נפח; Ms. M. מנפיח; Mish. ed. מנפה … נפה, v. Rabb. D. S. a. l. note 7) he may blow out (the chaff of the wheat-ears) from hand to hand and eat, but if he blows and puts the grain in his lap, he is bound (to pay tithes); Bets. 13ᵇ. Ib. 14ᵃ. Ber. 19ᵇ; Nidd. 57ᵃ, a. e., v. פְּרַס; a. fr.—[Y. Peah VIII, 21ᵇ top המנפח, read המכפח, v. קָפַח.]
Pu. - נוּפָּח to be blown, fanned. Treat. S’maḥ. ch. VIII מוטב … אש שנוּפְּחָה ולא אש שלא נופחה וכ׳ it is better that a fire consume me which has been blown (by man), than a fire that has not been fanned (Gehenna; Job XX, 26).
Nif. - נִיפַּח to be blown up, to swell. Num. R. s. 7 תִּנָּפֵחַ כרסי וכ׳ my belly may swell and burst.