/ dek; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
the top outside floor of a ship or boat :
I was the only person on deck at that time of night.
As the storm began, everyone disappeared below deck(s) .
2.
one of the floors of a ship or a bus :
the upper / lower / main deck of a ship
We sat on the top deck of the bus.
My cabin is on deck C.
—see also double-decker , flight deck , single-decker
3.
(also ˌdeck of ˈcards ) ( especially NAmE ) = pack
4.
a wooden floor that is built outside the back of a house where you can sit and relax
—picture at house
5.
a part of a sound system that records and/or plays sounds on a disc or tape :
a cassette / tape deck
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IDIOMS
see clear verb , hand noun , hit verb
■ verb [ vn ]
1.
[ often passive ] deck sb/sth (out) (in / with sth) to decorate sb/sth with sth :
The room was decked out in flowers and balloons.
2.
( informal ) to hit sb very hard so that they fall to the ground
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Middle Dutch dec covering, roof, cloak, dekken to cover. Originally denoting canvas used to make a covering (especially on a ship), the term came to mean the covering itself, later denoting a solid surface serving as roof and floor.