English
deal
see also: Deal
Pronunciation Etymology 1

From Middle English del, dele, from Old English dǣl, from Proto-West Germanic *daili, from Proto-Germanic *dailiz, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰail-.

Noun

deal (plural deals)

  1. (obsolete) A division, a portion, a share, a part, a piece.
    Synonyms: allotment, apportionment, distribution
    We gave three deals of grain in tribute to the king.
  2. (often followed by of) An indefinite quantity or amount; a lot (now usually qualified by great or good).
    Synonyms: batch, flock, good deal, great deal, hatful, heap, load, lot, mass, mess, mickle, mint, muckle, peck, pile, plenty, pot, quite a little, raft, sight, slew, spate, stack, tidy sum, wad, whole lot, whole slew, Thesaurus:lot
    • 1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter II, in Mansfield Park: […], volume I, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC ↗, page 35 ↗:
      There is a vast deal of difference in memories, as well as in every thing else, and therefore you should make allowance for your cousin, and pity her deficiency.
    • 1851 November 13, Herman Melville, chapter 32, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC ↗:
      There is a deal of obscurity concerning the identity of the species thus multitudinously baptized.
Related terms
  • a deal is a deal
Translations Translations Etymology 2

From Middle English delen, from Old English dǣlan, from Proto-West Germanic *dailijan, from Proto-Germanic *dailijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰail-.

Cognate with Western Frisian diele, Dutch delen, German teilen, Swedish dela; and with Lithuanian dalinti, Russian дели́ть.

Verb

deal (deals, present participle dealing; simple past and past participle dealt)

  1. (transitive) To distribute among a number of recipients, to give out as one’s portion or share.
    Synonyms: apportion, divvy up, share, share out, portion out
    The fighting is over; now we deal out the spoils of victory.
  2. (transitive) To administer or give out, as in small portions.
    Synonyms: administer, allot, deal out, dish out, dispense, distribute, dole out, hand out, lot, mete out, parcel out, shell out
  3. (ambitransitive) To distribute cards to the players in a game.
    I was dealt four aces.
    The cards were shuffled, and the croupier dealt.
  4. (transitive) deliver damage, a blow, strike or cut. To inflict.
    The boxer was dealt a blow to the head.
  5. (baseball) To pitch.
    Synonyms: pitch, throw
    The whole crowd waited for him to deal a real humdinger.
  6. (intransitive) To have dealings or business.
  7. (intransitive) To conduct oneself, to behave.
  8. (obsolete, intransitive) To take action; to act.
  9. (intransitive) To trade professionally (followed by in).
    Synonyms: sell, trade, bargain
    She deals in gold.
  10. (ambitransitive) To sell, especially to sell illicit drugs.
    Synonyms: sell
    This club takes a dim view of members who deal drugs.
  11. (intransitive) To be concerned with.
  12. (intransitive) To handle, to manage, to cope.
    I can't deal with this.
    I don't think he wants to go. — Yeah, well, we're going anyway, and he can deal.
Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Noun

deal (plural deals)

  1. (archaic in general sense) An act of dealing or sharing out.
  2. (card games) The distribution of cards to players; a player's turn for this.
    Synonyms: hand
    I didn’t have a good deal all evening.
    I believe it's your deal.
  3. A particular instance of trading (buying or selling; exchanging; bartering); a transaction.
    Synonyms: business deal, sale, trade, transaction
    We need to finalise the deal with Henderson by midnight.
    recognizing the societal deal between capital and labor regarding retirement savings
  4. (in particular) A transaction offered which is financially beneficial; a bargain.
    Synonyms: steal, bargain
  5. An agreement between parties; an arrangement.
    Synonyms: contract, pact
    He made a deal with the devil.
    I didn't deserve it, but he cut me a deal.
    to cut a deal, to cut deals
    to cut a fantastic deal, to cut a raw deal
  6. (informal) A situation, occasion, or event.
    What's the deal here?
    Their new movie is the biggest deal of the year.
    I don't think that's such a big deal.
  7. (informal) A thing, an unspecified or unidentified object.
    Synonyms: dealy, thingy, whazzit
    The deal with four tines is called a pitchfork.
  8. (slang, of a person) A personality trait, especially a negative one, and the underlying cause of it.
    What's her deal?
Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Etymology 3

From Middle English dele, from Middle Low German dele, from osx thili, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *þiljǭ; cognate with Old English þille.

Noun

deal

  1. (uncountable) Wood that is easy to saw (from conifers such as pine or fir).
  2. (countable) A plank of softwood (fir or pine board).
  3. (countable, archaic) A wooden board or plank, usually between 12 or 14 feet in length, traded as a commodity in shipbuilding.
Translations Translations Adjective

deal (not comparable)

  1. Made of deal.
    A plain deal table
Deal
Etymology

From Old English dael, corresponding to modern dale.

Pronunciation Proper noun
  1. A coastal town/and/cpar with a town council in Dover (OS grid ref TR3752).


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