חָרַשׁ II Pi. חֵרֵשׁ, חֵי׳ (denom. of חֵרֵשׁ) to deafen, make deaf. B. Kam. 86ᵃ שחֵירְשׁוֹ וכ׳ when he made him deaf without wounding him. Ib. החוֹרֵשׁ את אביו (Ms. H. a. R. חֵרֵשׁ); ib. 98ᵃ חֵרְשׁוֹ לאביו if one injured his father’s hearing; v. חֲרִישָׁה II. Kidd. 24ᵇ.—Sabb. 109ᵃ top. יד מְחָרֶשֶׁת the unwashed hand put to the ear causes deafness.
    Hif. - הֶחֱרִישׁ 1) same. B. Kam. 86ᵃ להַחֲרִישׁ, v. חֲרִישָׁה II. —2) (b. h.) to be silent. Y. Pes. IX, end. 37ᵃ (ref. to Prov. XVII, 28) ואין צ"ל חכם מַחֲרִישׁ and it is needless to say the same of a wise man keeping silence. [Usu. שָׁתַק.]
    Nithpa. - נִתְחָרֵשׁ to become deaf (and dumb). Yeb. XIV, 1; Tosef. Ter. I, 1 פיקח ונ׳ if he had been well-hearing and became etc.; v. חֵרֵשׁ.