DEADEN

deaden

(verb) convert (metallic mercury) into a grey powder consisting of minute globules, as by shaking with chalk or fatty oil

deaden, blunt

(verb) make less lively, intense, or vigorous; impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation; “Terror blunted her feelings”; “deaden a sound”

deaden

(verb) become lifeless, less lively, intense, or active; lose life, force, or vigor

dampen, deaden, damp

(verb) make vague or obscure or make (an image) less visible; “muffle the message”

deaden

(verb) lessen the momentum or velocity of; “deaden a ship’s headway”

deaden

(verb) make vapid or deprive of spirit; “deadened wine”

girdle, deaden

(verb) cut a girdle around so as to kill by interrupting the circulation of water and nutrients; “girdle the plant”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

deaden (third-person singular simple present deadens, present participle deadening, simple past and past participle deadened)

(transitive) To render less lively; to diminish; to muffle.

(intransitive) To become less lively; to diminish (by itself).

(transitive) To make soundproof.

Anagrams

• deaned

Source: Wiktionary


Dead"en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deadened; p. pr. & vb. n. Deadening.] Etym: [From Dead; cf. AS. d to kill, put to death. See Dead, a.]

1. To make as dead; to impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation; to lessen the force or acuteness of; to blunt; as, to deaden the natural powers or feelings; to deaden a sound.

As harper lays his open palm Upon his harp, to deaden its vibrations. Longfellow.

2. To lessen the velocity or momentum of; to retard; as, to deaden a ship's headway.

3. To make vapid or spiritless; as, to deaden wine.

4. To deprive of gloss or brilliancy; to obscure; as, to deaden gilding by a coat of size.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

23 December 2024

QUANDONG

(noun) Australian tree having hard white timber and glossy green leaves with white flowers followed by one-seeded glossy blue fruit


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

International Coffee Day (September 29) is an occasion to promote and celebrate coffee as a beverage, with events occurring in places across the world. A day to promote fair trade coffee and raise awareness for the coffee growers’ plight. Other countries celebrate this event on October 1.

coffee icon