deaf
(adjective) lacking or deprived of the sense of hearing wholly or in part
deaf
(noun) people who have severe hearing impairments; “many of the deaf use sign language”
deafen, deaf
(verb) make or render deaf; “a deafening noise”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
deaf (comparative deafer, superlative deafest)
Unable to hear, or only partially able to hear.
Unwilling to listen or be persuaded; determinedly inattentive; regardless.
Obscurely heard; stifled; deadened.
(obsolete, UK, dialect) Decayed; tasteless; dead.
• hard of hearing
• hearing-impaired
deaf pl (plural only)
(with "the") Those who are deaf, taken as a group.
deaf (plural deafs)
(nonstandard, rare) A deaf person.
Used primarily within the deaf community.
deaf (third-person singular simple present deafs, present participle deafing, simple past and past participle deafed)
(obsolete, transitive) To deafen.
• EDFA, fade
Deaf (not comparable)
Of or relating to the culture surrounding deaf users of sign languages.
• EDFA, fade
Source: Wiktionary
Deaf, a. Etym: [OE. def, deaf, deef, AS. deáf; akin to D. doof, G. taub, Icel. daufr, Dan. döv, Sw. döf, Goth. daubs, and prob. to E. dumb (the original sense being, dull as applied to one of the senses), and perh. to Gr. toben to rage. Cf. Dumb.]
1. Wanting the sense of hearing, either wholly or in part; unable to perceive sounds; hard of hearing; as, a deaf man. Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf. Shak.
2. Unwilling to hear or listen; determinedly inattentive; regardless; not to be persuaded as to facts, argument, or exhortation; -- with to; as, deaf to reason. O, that men's ears should be To counsel deaf, but not to flattery! Shak.
3. Deprived of the power of hearing; deafened. Deaf with the noise, I took my hasty flight. Dryden.
4. Obscurely heard; stifled; deadened. [R.] A deaf murmur through the squadron went. Dryden.
5. Decayed; tasteless; dead; as, a deaf nut; deaf corn. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Halliwell. If the season be unkindly and intemperate, they [peppers] will catch a blast; and then the seeds will be deaf, void, light, and naught. Holland. Deaf and dumb, without the sense of hearing or the faculty of speech. See Deaf-mute.
Deaf, v. t.
Definition: To deafen. [Obs.] Dryden.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
24 March 2025
(adjective) (music) marked by or composed of disconnected parts or sounds; cut short crisply; “staccato applause”; “a staccato command”; “staccato notes”
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
