1. [n]  people who have severe hearing impairments; "many of the deaf use sign language"
2. [adj]  lacking or deprive of the sense of hearing wholly or in part
3. [v]  make or render deaf

Deaf
Deaf

more details ...

1. \Deaf\ (?; 277), a. [OE. def, deaf, deef, AS. de['a]f; akin
   to D. doof, G. taub, Icel. daufr, Dan. d["o]v, Sw. d["o]f,
   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. {Dum}b.]
   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. [R.]
            A deaf murmur through the squadron went. --Dryden.
   5. Decayed; tasteless; dead; as, a deaf nut; deaf corn. [Obs.
      or Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
            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}.
   

2. \Deaf\ (?; 277), v. t.
   To deafen. [Obs.] --Dryden.