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Deaf vs Reaf - What's the difference?

deaf | reaf |

As nouns the difference between deaf and reaf

is that deaf is deaf people considered as a group while reaf is spoil; booty; plunder, especially plunder from robbery.

As an adjective deaf

is unable to hear, or only partially able to hear.

As a verb deaf

is to deafen.

deaf

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Unable to hear, or only partially able to hear.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf .
  • * Dryden
    • Deaf with the noise, I took my hasty flight.
  • Unwilling to listen or be persuaded; determinedly inattentive; regardless.
    • Those people are deaf to reason.
  • * Shakespeare
    • O, that men's ears should be / To counsel deaf , but not to flattery!
  • Obscurely heard; stifled; deadened.
  • * Dryden
    • A deaf murmur through the squadron went.
  • (obsolete, UK, dialect) Decayed; tasteless; dead.
    • a deaf''' nut; '''deaf corn
    (Halliwell)
  • * Holland
    • If the season be unkindly and intemperate, they [peppers] will catch a blast; and then the seeds will be deaf , void, light, and naught.

    Synonyms

    * hard of hearing * hearing-impaired

    Derived terms

    * turn a deaf ear * stone deaf * fall on deaf ears

    See also

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

    Noun

  • Deaf people considered as a group.

    • Derived terms

    * deaf aid * deaf and dumb * deaf-mute * deafen * deafness

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To deafen.
    • (Dryden)

    See also

    * (pedia) * (Deaf culture)

    Anagrams

    * * ----

    reaf

    English

    Etymology 1

    See (m).

    Alternative forms

    * (l), (l) (Scotland)

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • (now, chiefly, dialectal) Spoil; booty; plunder, especially plunder from robbery.
  • (now, chiefly, dialectal) The act of practise of robbery; spoliation; depredation.
  • (now, chiefly, dialectal) The act of carrying off, abducting, or devouring (another).
  • (now, chiefly, dialectal, Scotland) Rapacity; greedy desire for plunder.
  • (now, chiefly, dialectal, Scotland) A thief; robber.

    • Etymology 2

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • * 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.