different between deaf vs reaf

English

Etymology

From Middle English deef, from Old English d?af, from Proto-West Germanic *daub, from Proto-Germanic *daubaz, from Proto-Indo-European *d?ewb?- (“to whisk, smoke, darken, obscure”). Cognate with Ancient Greek ?????? (tuphlós, “blind”). See also dumb.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?f/
• (dated, regional US and England) IPA^(key): /di?f/
• Rhymes: -?f
• Homophones: death (with th-fronting), Deaf, def

Adjective

deaf (comparative deafer, superlative deafest)

1. Unable to hear, or only partially able to hear.
   • 1665, John Dryden, The Indian Emperour

     Deaf with the noise, I took my hasty flight.

2. Unwilling to listen or be persuaded; determinedly inattentive; regardless.
3. Obscurely heard; stifled; deadened.
4. (obsolete, Britain, dialect) Decayed; tasteless; dead.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

   • If the season be unkindly and intemperate, they [peppers] will catch a blast; and then the seeds will be deafe, void, light, and naught.

Synonyms

• hard of hearing
• hearing-impaired

Derived terms

• Deaf
• Deaf Smith County
• fall on deaf ears
• stone deaf
• turn a deaf ear
• deaf aid
• deaf and dumb
• deaf-mute
• deafen
• deafness

Translations

See also

• inaudible (unable to be heard)
• anosmic
• blind

Noun

deaf (plural deafs)

1. (nonstandard, rare) A deaf person.

Usage notes

Used primarily within the deaf community.

Translations

Verb

deaf (third-person singular simple present deafs, present participle deafing, simple past and past participle deafed)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To deafen.

See also

• Deafness on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Deaf culture on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• EDFA, fade

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *daub.

Germanic cognates include Old Frisian d?f, Old Saxon d?f (Low German dow), Old High German toub (German taub), Old Norse daufr (Swedish döv). The Indo-European root is also the source of Greek ?????? (tyflós, “blind”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dæ???f/

Adjective

d?af

1. deaf

Declension

Descendants

• Middle English: deef, def
  • English: deaf
  • Scots: deef, deif, deaf

English

Noun

reaf (plural reafs)

1. Obsolete spelling of reef
   • 1834 August 2, Niles' Register, page 384:

     A large number of vessels continued to be wrecked, and a vast amount of property is lost on the Florida reafs.

   • 1891, H. A. Moriarty, Islands in the Southern Indian Ocean, Westward of Longitude 80° east, including Madagascar, page 124:

     The largest ships may pass between the outer reafs and the Black rocks.

Anagrams

• FERA, Fear, Fera, Rafe, fare, fear

Middle English

Noun

reaf

1. Alternative form of reif

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *raub, from Proto-Germanic *raubaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ræ???f/

Noun

r?af m or n

1. plunder, spoil, booty
2. raiment, garment, robe, vestment
3. armor

Derived terms

• r?afl?c (“robbery”)

Related terms

• r?afian

Descendants

• Middle English: ræf, raf, ref, reif
  • English: reif
  • Scots: reif