Link Centre Dictionary

deaf

UK/dɛf/ US/diːf/ common uk
adjective (2) noun (1) verb (1)

adjective

1.
2.

(usually followed by `to'') unwilling or refusing to pay heed

  • “deaf to her warnings”
Synonyms
Similar

noun

1.

people who have severe hearing impairments

  • “many of the deaf use sign language”

verb

1.

make or render deaf

  • “a deafening noise”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English def, deef, from Old English dēaf, from Proto-West Germanic *daub (“deaf”), from Proto-Germanic *daubaz (“deaf or stunned”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (“to whisk, smoke, darken, obscure”). Cognate with Ancient Greek τυφλός (tuphlós, “blind”). See also dumb. Doublet of daff, dof, and dowf. Cognate with Dutch doof, German taub, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål døv, Norwegian Nynorsk dauv, Swedish döv, Faroese deyvur, Icelandic daufur.

Phrases

  • are you deaf
  • cock a deaf 'un
  • deaf adder
  • deaf aid
  • deaf and dumb
  • deaf as a doorknob
  • deaf as a doornail
  • deaf as a doorpost

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Part of

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.