/dee"leuhr/ , n.
1. a person who buys and sells articles without altering their condition; trader or merchant, esp. a wholesaler: I got a dealer's discount on this coat.
2. Cards. the player distributing the cards.
3. a person who behaves or acts toward another or others in a specified manner: a plain dealer.
4. Slang. a person who buys and sells drugs illegally.
5. a person who buys securities for his or her account and retains them until sold to another. Cf. stockbroker .
[ bef. 1000; ME delere, OE daelere. See DEAL 1 , -ER 1 ]