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definitions

deaf

[def]
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adjective, deaf·er, deaf·est.

partially or wholly lacking or deprived of the sense of hearing; unable to hear.
refusing to listen, heed, or be persuaded; unreasonable or unyielding: deaf to all advice.
(initial capital letter) of or relating to the Deaf or their cultural community: Deaf customs and values.

noun (used with a plural verb)

deaf persons collectively (usually preceded by the): social services for the deaf.
(initial capital letter) deaf persons who identify themselves as members of a community composed of deaf persons and others who share in their culture (usually preceded by the).

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RELATED WORDS

strong-willed, oblivious, indifferent, headstrong, obstinate, bullheaded, intractable, mulish, pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, stubborn, unaware, unconcerned, unmoved, self-willed

Nearby words

  1. deadweight,
  2. deadweight tonnage,
  3. deadwood,
  4. deadwork,
  5. deaerate,
  6. deaf aid,
  7. deaf as a post,
  8. deaf without speech,
  9. deaf-and-dumb,
  10. deaf-blind

Origin of deaf

before 900; Middle English deef, Old English dēaf; cognate with Middle Low German dōf, Dutch doof, Old High German toub
Related forms

Pronunciation note

Deaf is usually pronounced [def] /dɛf/, with the vowel of left. In uneducated speech the dialectal pronunciation [deef] /dif/, to rhyme with leaf, is still heard occasionally, but it is increasingly rare.

Usage note

See dumb.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for deafer

British Dictionary definitions for deafer

deaf

adjective

  1. partially or totally unable to hear
  2. (as collective noun; preceded by the)the deaf See also tone-deaf
refusing to heeddeaf to the cries of the hungry
Derived Formsdeafly, adverbdeafness, noun

Word Origin for deaf

Old English dēaf; related to Old Norse daufr

xref

See elderly
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for deafer

deaf

adj.

Old English deaf "deaf," also "empty, barren," specialized from Proto-Germanic *daubaz (cf. Old Saxon dof, Old Norse daufr, Old Frisian daf, Dutch doof "deaf," German taub, Gothic daufs "deaf, insensate"), from PIE dheubh-, which was used to form words meaning "confusion, stupefaction, dizziness" (cf. Greek typhlos "blind).

The word was pronounced to rhyme with reef until 18c. Deaf-mute is from 1837, after French sourd-muet. Deaf-mutes were sought after in 18c.-19c. Britain as fortune-tellers. Deaf as an adder (Old English) is from Psalms lviii:5.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for deafer

deaf

[dĕf]

adj.

Partially or completely lacking in the sense of hearing.
Deaf Of or relating to the Deaf or their culture.

n.

Deaf people considered as a group.
Deaf The community of deaf people who use American Sign Language as a primary means of communication.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Idioms and Phrases with deafer

deaf

In addition to the idiom beginning with deaf

  • deaf as a post

also see:

  • fall on deaf ears
  • stone deaf
  • turn a deaf ear
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.