deafness

noun

deaf·​ness ˈdef-nəs 

plural -es

: congenital or acquired lack, loss, or impairment of the sense of hearing whether due to defects in (1) the sound-transmitting mechanism, (2) the organ of Corti or auditory nerve, or (3) the interpretative centers of the brain

called also respectively 1transmission deafness, conduction deafness, conductive deafness, 2perceptive deafness, nerve deafness, 3central deafness, cortical deafness, psychic deafness

Word History

Etymology

Middle English deefnesse, from deef deaf + -nesse -ness

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