Deafness

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Deafness \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.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. Unwillingness to hear; voluntary rejection of what is
        addressed to the understanding.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Nervous deafness}, a variety of deafness dependent upon
        morbid change in some portion of the nervous system,
        especially the auditory nerve.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  deafness
       n : partial or complete loss of hearing [syn: {hearing loss}]