deaf
See also: Deaf
English
Etymology
From Middle English deef, from Old English dēaf, from Proto-Germanic *daubaz, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (“to whisk, smoke, darken, obscure”). Cognate with Ancient Greek τυφλός (tuphlós, “blind”). See also dumb.
Pronunciation
Adjective
deaf (comparative deafer, superlative deafest)
- Unable to hear, or only partially able to hear.
- Shakespeare
- Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf.
- Dryden
- Deaf with the noise, I took my hasty flight.
- Shakespeare
- Unwilling to listen or be persuaded; determinedly inattentive; regardless.
- Those people are deaf to reason.
- Shakespeare
- O, that men's ears should be / To counsel deaf, but not to flattery!
- Obscurely heard; stifled; deadened.
- Dryden
- A deaf murmur through the squadron went.
- Dryden
- (obsolete, Britain, dialectal) Decayed; tasteless; dead.
- a deaf nut; deaf corn
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)
- Holland
- If the season be unkindly and intemperate, they [peppers] will catch a blast; and then the seeds will be deaf, void, light, and naught.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
unable to hear
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unwilling to listen
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Noun
deaf pl (plural only)
- (with "the") Those who are deaf, taken as a group.
Translations
deaf people considered as a group
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Usage notes
Used primarily within the deaf community.
Translations
a single deaf person — see deaf person
Verb
deaf (third-person singular simple present deafs, present participle deafing, simple past and past participle deafed)
- (obsolete, transitive) To deafen.
- 1634, John Fletcher & William Shakespeare, Two Noble Kinsmen:
- It is enough, my hearing shall be punish'd With what shall happen, -- 'gainst the which there is No deafing -- but to hear, not taint mine eye With dread sights that it may shun.
- 1871, Charlse Hindlley, A Kicksey Winsey: Or a Lerry Come-Twang:
- Shall we, I say, that have been so long civil and wealthy in peace, famous and invincible in war, fortunate in both, we that have been ever able to aid any of our neighbours (but never deafed any of their ears with any of our supplications for assistance) shall we, I say, without blushing, abase ourselves so far, as to imitate these beastly Indians, slaves to the Spaniards, refuse to the world, and as yet aliens from the holy covenant of God?
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Dryden to this entry?)
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See also
Deafness on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Deaf culture on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Old English
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *daubaz, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (“smoky, foggy, dim”). Germanic cognates include Old Frisian dāf, Old Saxon dōf (Low German dow), Old High German toub (German taub), Old Norse daufr (Swedish döv). The Indo-European root is also the source of Greek τυφλός (tyflós, “blind”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /dæːɑ̯f/
Declension
Declension of deaf — Strong
Singular | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
---|---|---|---|
Nominative | dēaf | dēaf | dēaf |
Accusative | dēafne | dēafe | dēaf |
Genitive | dēafes | dēafre | dēafes |
Dative | dēafum | dēafre | dēafum |
Instrumental | dēafe | dēafre | dēafe |
Plural | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
Nominative | dēafe | dēafa, -e | dēaf |
Accusative | dēafe | dēafa, -e | dēaf |
Genitive | dēafra | dēafra | dēafra |
Dative | dēafum | dēafum | dēafum |
Instrumental | dēafum | dēafum | dēafum |
Declension of deaf — Weak
Singular | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
---|---|---|---|
Nominative | dēafa | dēafe | dēafe |
Accusative | dēafan | dēafan | dēafe |
Genitive | dēafan | dēafan | dēafan |
Dative | dēafan | dēafan | dēafan |
Instrumental | dēafan | dēafan | dēafan |
Plural | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
Nominative | dēafan | dēafan | dēafan |
Accusative | dēafan | dēafan | dēafan |
Genitive | dēafra, dēafena | dēafra, dēafena | dēafra, dēafena |
Dative | dēafum | dēafum | dēafum |
Instrumental | dēafum | dēafum | dēafum |
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