deed
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deed¹
- /diːd/
Rhymes with -iːd
Where it comes from
From Middle English dede, from Old English dēd, dǣd (“deed, act”), from Proto-West Germanic *dādi, from Proto-Germanic *dēdiz (“deed”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰéh₁tis (“deed, action”). Analyzable through Proto-Germanic as do + -th. Doublet of thesis.
The real estate sense derives from the fact that property deeds are traditionally used to demonstrate proof of ownership of a legal title in common law jurisdictions, such as England & Wales and most of the United States.
Cognates
Cognate with West Frisian died, Dutch daad (“deed, act”), German Low German Daad, German Tat (“deed, action”), Swedish, Norwegian and Danish dåd (“act, action”). The Proto-Indo-European root is also the source of Ancient Greek θέσις (thésis, “setting, arrangement”).
noun deeds
- An action or act; something that is done. One small deed can have one strong effect or more.
- A brave or noteworthy action; a feat or exploit. They should accomplish both a knightly deed,
- Action or fact, as opposed to rhetoric or deliberation. I have fulfilled my promise in word and in deed.
- A legal instrument that is executed under seal or before a witness; sometimes required for certain legal activities, such as the transfer of certain kinds of property.
- The legal title to real estate; ownership. I inherited the deed to the house.
verb deeds · deeding · deeded
- To transfer real property by deed. He deeded over the mineral rights to some fellas from Denver.
Deed²
proper noun
- A surname.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: exploit, effort, feat, title, action, accomplishment, practice, achievement, notice, writable, statement, handling, declaration, done, fact, work
Translations
Every language
noun action
| Español | hecho, obra, fecho |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 행위 haeng'wi |
| 日本語 | 行為 kōi |
| 中文 | 行為 /行为 xíngwéi |
| हिन्दी | कार्य kārya, करनी karnī |
| Kiswahili | tendo, jambo |
| Português | ação, feito |
| Français | acte, action, œuvre |
| Deutsch | Tat, Akt, Werk |
| Italiano | fatto, gesto, gesta |
| Ελληνικά | πράξη práxi |
| Română | faptă |
| Русский | посту́пок postúpok, де́йствие déjstvije, дея́ние dejánije, акт akt |
| العربية | عَمَل ʕamal, فِعْل fiʕl |
| עברית | מעשה ma'ase |
noun legal instrument
| Español | acta, escritura, escrituras, título propietario, título de propiedad |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 契據 /契据 qìjù |
| Português | ato, contrato, escritura |
| Français | acte juridique |
| Deutsch | Urkunde |
| Italiano | atto notarile, contratto |
| Ελληνικά | συμβόλαιο symvólaio, συμβολαιογραφική πράξη symvolaiografikí práxi |
| Русский | акт akt, докуме́нт dokumént |
| العربية | وَثِيقَة waṯīqa |
| עברית | מסמך mismákh, חוזה khozé |
noun brave or noteworthy action, feat or exploit
| Español | gesta, hombrada, machada, fecho |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 功勛 /功勋 gōngxūn |
| Français | exploit, haut fait, prouesse, coup d'éclat, action d'éclat |
| Italiano | prodezza, impresa, exploit, bravura, ardimento, gesta |
| Русский | по́двиг pódvig |
| العربية | مَأْثُرَة maʔṯura |
verb to transfer real property by deed
| Deutsch | urkundlich übertragen |
|---|
Talk about this word "deed." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/deed. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. deed. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/deed "deed." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/deed.Cite this
@misc{deed_2026,
title = {deed},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/deed},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
