deafen

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English

Etymology

From deaf +‎ -en (verbal suffix). Compare Middle English deven, deaven (to make deaf), Old English ādēafian (to deafen), Dutch verdoven (to stupefy, deafen), German betäuben (to stun, stupefy, deafen).

Pronunciation

Verb

deafen (third-person singular simple present deafens, present participle deafening, simple past and past participle deafened)

  1. (transitive) To make deaf, either temporarily or permanently.
  2. (transitive) To make soundproof.
    to deafen a wall or a floor
  3. (transitive, rare, dialectal, sometimes figurative) To stun, as with noise.
    • 1855, Macaulay
      Racine left the ground [] deafened, dazzled and tired to death.

Translations

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