| deaf | 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. "A deaf murmur through the squadron went." (Dryden) 5. Decayed; tasteless; dead; as, a deaf nut; deaf corn. "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. Origin: OE. Def, deaf, deef, AS. Deaf; akin to D. Doof, G. Taub, Icel. Daufr, Dan. Dov, Sw. Dof, Goth. Daubs, and prob. To E. Dumb (the original sense being, dull as applied to one of the senses), and perh. To Gr. (for) blind, smoke, vapor, folly, and to G. Toben to rage. Cf. Dumb. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| deaf-mute | An individual with deafmutism. (05 Mar 2000) |
| deafferentation | A loss of the sensory input from a portion of the body, usually caused by interruption of the peripheral sensory fibres. Origin: L. De, from, + afferent (05 Mar 2000) |
| deafferentation pain | <symptom> Pain due to loss of sensory input into the central nervous system, as occurs with avulsion of the brachial plexus or other types of lesions of peripheral nerves or because of pathology of the central nervous system. (16 Dec 1997) |
| deafmutism | Inability to speak, due to congenital or early acquired profound deafness. Endemic deafmutism, deafmutism in individuals living in regions where goiter is prevalent, due to severe thyroid deficiency. (05 Mar 2000) |
| deafness | A condition in which the sense of hearing in both ears is not functional for ordinary purposes of life. The hearing level for speech is approximately 71 decibels I.s.o. (international organization for standardization) or 61 db a.s.a. (american standards association) or greater. (12 Dec 1998) |
| deafness, sudden | Sensorineural hearing loss which develops over a period of hours or a few days, varying in severity from mild to total. (12 Dec 1998) |
| deal | 1. A part or portion; a share; hence, an indefinite quantity, degree, or extent, degree, or extent; as, a deal of time and trouble; a deal of cold. "Three tenth deals [parts of an ephah] of flour." (Num. Xv. 9) "As an object of science it [the Celtic genius] may count for a good deal . . . As a spiritual power." (M. Arnold) "She was resolved to be a good deal more circumspect." (W. Black) It was formerly limited by some, every, never a, a thousand, etc.; as, some deal; but these are now obsolete or vulgar. In general, we now qualify the word with great or good, and often use it adverbially, by being understood; as, a great deal of time and pains; a great (or good) deal better or worse; that is, better by a great deal, or by a great part or difference. 2. The process of dealing cards to the players; also, the portion disturbed. "The deal, the shuffle, and the cut." (Swift) 3. Distribution; apportionment. 4. An arrangement to attain a desired result by a combination of interested parties; applied to stock speculations and political bargains. 5. [Prob. From D. Deel a plank, threshing floor. See Thill] The division of a piece of timber made by sawing; a board or plank; particularly, a board or plank of fir or pine above seven inches in width, and exceeding six feet in length. If narrower than this, it is called a batten; if shorter, a deal end. Whole deal is a general term for planking one and one half inches thick. 6. Wood of the pine or fir; as, a floor of deal. Deal tree, a fir tree. Origin: OE. Del, deel, part, AS. Dl; akin to OS. Dl, D. & Dan. Deel, G. Theil, teil, Icel. Deild, Sw. Del, Goth. Dails. Cf. 3d Dole. 1. To make distribution; to share out in portions, as cards to the players. 2. To do a distributing or retailing business, as distinguished from that of a manufacturer or producer; to traffic; to trade; to do business; as, he deals in flour. "They buy and sell, they deal and traffic." (South) "This is to drive to wholesale trade, when all other petty merchants deal but for parcels." (Dr. H. More) 3. To act as an intermediary in business or any affairs; to manage; to make arrangements; followed by between or with. "Sometimes he that deals between man and man, raiseth his own credit with both, by pretending greater interest than he hath in either." (Bacon) 4. To conduct one's self; to behave or act in any affair or towards any one; to treat. "If he will deal clearly and impartially, . . . He will acknowledge all this to be true." (Tillotson) 5. To contend (with); to treat (with), by way of opposition, check, or correction; as, he has turbulent passions to deal with. To deal by, to treat, either well or ill; as, to deal well by servants. "Such an one deals not fairly by his own mind." . To deal in. To have to do with; to be engaged in; to practice; as, they deal in political matters. To buy and sell; to furnish, as a retailer or wholesaler; as, they deal in fish. To deal with. To treat in any manner; to use, whether well or ill; to have to do with; specifically, to trade with. "Dealing with witches." . To reprove solemnly; to expostulate with. "The deacons of his church, who, to use their own phrase, "dealt with him" on the sin of rejecting the aid which Providence so manifestly held out." (Hawthorne) "Return . . . And I will deal well with thee." (Gen. Xxxii. 9) Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| dealbation | The act of whitening, bleaching, or blanching. Origin: L. De-albo, pp. -atus, to whiten (05 Mar 2000) |
| dealcoholization | The removal of alcohol from a fluid; in histologic technique, the removal of alcohol from a specimen that has been previously immersed in this fluid. (05 Mar 2000) |
| dealfish | <zoology> A long, thin fish of the arctic seas (Trachypterus arcticus). Origin: From deal a long, narrow plank. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| dealkylation | The removing of alkyl groups from a compound. (12 Dec 1998) |
| deallergise | 1. To reduce or remove any form of sensitivity. Synonym: deallergise. 2. To effect desensitization. 3. In dentistry, to eliminate or subdue the painful response of exposed, vital dentin to irritative agents or thermal changes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| deamidases | <enzyme> Registry number: EC 3.5. (12 Dec 1998) |
| deamidation | Deamidization The hydrolytic removal of an amide group. (05 Mar 2000) |