1.
[syn: unresponsiveness, deadness]
2. the physical property of something that has lost its elasticity;
- Example: "he objected to the deadness of the tennis balls"
3. the inanimate property of something that has died;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Deadness \Dead"ness\, n.
The state of being destitute of life, vigor, spirit,
activity, etc.; dullness; inertness; languor; coldness;
vapidness; indifference; as, the deadness of a limb, a body,
or a tree; the deadness of an eye; deadness of the
affections; the deadness of beer or cider; deadness to the
world, and the like.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
deadness
n 1: the quality of being unresponsive; not reacting; as a
quality of people, it is marked by a failure to respond
quickly or with emotion to people or events; "she began to
recover from her numb unresponsiveness after the accident";
"in an instant all the deadness and withdrawal were wiped
away" [syn: unresponsiveness, deadness] [ant:
responsiveness]
2: the physical property of something that has lost its
elasticity; "he objected to the deadness of the tennis balls"
3: the inanimate property of something that has died