Deafness

See also ear; hearing

aerophone

a type of ear trumpet used by the deaf.

Ameslan

an acronym for the American Sign Language for the Deaf, a system of communication through gestures and hand signals.

anaudia

loss or absence of the power of hearing.

autophony

a form of deafness in which the sufferer hears only his own voice, and that very loudly. See also medical specialties.

dactylology

the technique of communicating through signs made with the fingers, as in the manual alphabet for the deaf.

deafmutism

the condition of lacking both hearing and speech. Also called surdomutism. —deafmute, n.

manualism

the teaching of communication through the use of hand signals to the deaf. —manualist, n.

oralism

1. the principles of the oral method of training the deaf, as lip reading.

2. the support or practice of these principles. Cf. manualism. —oralist, n.

osteophone

a hearing device for the deaf that is placed against the upper teeth so it can transmit vibrations to the auditory nerve through the bones of the skull.

paracusis

defective sense of hearing. Also paracousia.

phonautography

a procedure for producing visible records of sound waves or speech sounds, especially to assist the deaf in using the telephone. Also called visible speech. —phonautographic, adj.

surdism

Pathology. the degree of deafness that is sufficient to block the acquisition of speech by normal means.

surdomutism

deafmutism. —surdomute, n.