DEAFNESS
deafness, hearing loss
(noun) partial or complete loss of hearing
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
deafness (countable and uncountable, plural deafnesses)
The condition of being deaf; the lack or loss of the ability to hear.
(figurative) Lack of knowledge or refusal to admit a particular problem, issue, etc.
Source: Wiktionary
Deaf"ness, n.
1. Incapacity of perceiving sounds; the state of the organs which
prevents the impression which constitute hearing; want of the sense
of hearing.
2. Unwillingness to hear; voluntary rejection of what is addressed to
the understanding. Nervous deafness, a variety of deafness dependent
upon morbid change in some portion of the nervous system, especially
the auditory nerve.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition