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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. Something that is carried out; an act or action.
  2. n. A usually praiseworthy act; a feat or exploit.
  3. n. Action or performance in general: Deeds, not words, matter most.
  4. n. Law A document sealed as an instrument of bond, contract, or conveyance, especially relating to property.
  5. v. To transfer by means of a deed: deeded the property to the children.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. That which is done, acted, performed, or accomplished; a doing; an act: a word of extensive application, including whatever is done, good or bad, great or small.
  2. n. Power of action; agency; performance.
  3. n. In law, a writing on parchment or paper, authenticated by the seal of the person whose mind it purports to declare; more specifically, such a writing made for the purpose of conveying real estate. See indenture, and deed poll, below.
  4. To convey or transfer by deed: as, he deeded all his estate to his eldest son.

Wiktionary

  1. n. An action or act; something that is done.
  2. n. A brave or noteworthy action; a feat or exploit.
  3. n. Action or fact, as opposed to rhetoric or deliberation.
  4. n. A legal contract showing bond.
  5. v. To transfer real property by deed.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. adj. Dead.
  2. n. That which is done or effected by a responsible agent; an act; an action; a thing done; -- a word of extensive application, including, whatever is done, good or bad, great or small.
  3. n. Illustrious act; achievement; exploit.
  4. n. Power of action; agency; efficiency.
  5. n. Fact; reality; -- whence we have indeed.
  6. n. A sealed instrument in writing, on paper or parchment, duly executed and delivered, containing some transfer, bargain, or contract.
  7. n. Performance; -- followed by of.
  8. v. To convey or transfer by deed.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it
  2. n. something that people do or cause to happen

Etymologies

  1. Middle English dede, from Old English dǣd; see dhē- in Indo-European roots.

Examples

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Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘deed’.

Comments

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  • bilby
    The winds awaken, the leaves whirl round,
    Our cheeks are pale, our hair is unbound,
    Our breasts are heaving, our eyes are a-gleam,
    Our arms are waving, our lips are apart;
    And if any gaze on our rushing band,
    We come between him and the deed of his hand,
    We come between him and the hope of his heart.

    - W.B. Yeats, 'The Hosting of the Sidhe'. Sep 18, 2009

  • bilby Do Good's deeds live on? No, Evil's deeds do, O God. Oct 18, 2008

‘deed’ has been looked up 2075 times, loved by 1 person, added to 26 lists, commented on 2 times, and has a Scrabble score of 6. It's also a palindrome.