קָטַף (b. h.; cmp. קטע, קטל, a. גדף) to cut, break off, pluck. Lam. R. to I, 12, v. עוֹלֵלָה.—Part. pass. קָטוּף; f. קְטוּפָה. Ber. 47ᵃ; Tosef. Meg. IV (III), 27, a. e. אמן ק׳, v. infra.—Pirké d’R. El. ch. XXIX עוללות קְטוּפִין premature (undeveloped) grapes.
Nif. - נִקְטָף,
Hithpa. - הִתְקטֵּף to be plucked, broken off. Tosef. l. c. העונה אמן … קטופה יִקָּטְפוּ שנותיו he who pronounces a broken Amen (v. אָמֵן II), his years shall be broken off; Ber. l. c. יִתְקַטְּפוּ; Y. ib. VIII, end, 12ᶜ תִּקָּטֵף נשמתו his soul shall be plucked off (he shall die before his time).
Pi. - קִיטֵּף 1) same. Esth. R. to I, 9, v. עוֹלֵלָה.—Esp. ק׳ בעוללות [to do plucking among the small single bunches,] to initiate persecution with attempts to destroy the young generation. Gen. R. s. 42 הראשון התחיל מְקַטֵּף בע׳ וכ׳ the first enemy began with breaking off the young bunches, the second with thinning the clusters (v. וִּנֵּב) &c.; Lev. R. s. 11; Ruth R. introd. (ושם האיש).—Nidd. 66ᵇ בנתר משום דמקטף she must not wash her head with natron, because it plucks (uproots) the weakly rooted hairs (which left on the head prevent the water from immediate contact with the body; v. חוּץ I); a. fr.—Trnsf. (of fire) to creep along the ground of a field, opp. קָדַח. Y. B. Kam. VI, 5ᶜ top במְקַטֶּפֶת (Bab. ib. 61ᵃ בנכפפת), v. קָדַח. —2) to tear in pieces a lump of dough to form cakes, for which purpose the kneader moistens his hands with water, oil &c.; hence: to form dough and smoothen its surface. Y. Pes. II, end, 29ᶜ אין לשין … אבל מְקַטְּפִין וכ׳ you must not knead unleavened bread (for the Passover night) with liquors (juice of fruit, oil &c.) but you may form it with liquors; Bab. Pes. 36ᵃ. Ib. את שלשין בו מקטפין בו only such liquid as may be used for kneading, should be used for forming. Ib. 42ᵃ אחד שמְקַטֶּפֶת וכ׳ one vessel in which she dips her hand when forming the cakes, and another &c.; a. e.—Part. pass. מְקוּטָּף; f. מְקוּטֶּפֶת &c. broken off, nipped Midr. Till. to Ps. LXXIII, 4 האשה … אחת מק׳ ואחת מעוכה ed. Bub. (ed. מעוסה, corr. acc.) when a woman spins a yarn, once a thread is broken (and must be knotted), and once it is rubbed off (crumbled, too thin). Gen. R. s. 99 יצא … ואזניו מק׳ Reuben came forth with his ears clipped (his pride humbled); (comment.: his ears hanging down like a nipped plant, i.e. saddened).