Link Centre Dictionary

deed

UK/diːd/ US/ˈdid/ fairly common informal

noun

1.

a notable achievement

  • “he performed a great deed”
  • “the book was her finest effort”
Synonyms
2.

a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it

  • “he signed the deed”
  • “he kept the title to his car in the glove compartment”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English dede, from Old English dēd, dǣd (“deed, act”), from Proto-West Germanic *dādi, from Proto-Germanic *dēdiz (“deed”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰéh₁tis (“deed, action”). Analyzable through Proto-Germanic as do + -th. Doublet of thesis. The real estate sense derives from the fact that property deeds are traditionally used to demonstrate proof of ownership of a legal title in common law jurisdictions, such as England & Wales and most of the United States. Cognates Cognate with West Frisian died, Dutch daad (“deed, act”), German Low German Daad, German Tat (“deed, action”), Swedish, Norwegian and Danish dåd (“act, action”). The Proto-Indo-European root is also the source of Ancient Greek θέσις (thésis, “setting, arrangement”).

Phrases

  • a good deed is its own reward
  • bond for deed
  • deed of appointment
  • deed of assumption
  • deed of retirement
  • deed of trust
  • deed poll
  • do the deed

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

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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.