deal 1
/deel/ , v. , dealt, dealing , n.
v.i.
1. to occupy oneself or itself (usually fol. by with or in ): Botany deals with the study of plants. He deals in generalities.
2. to take action with respect to a thing or person (fol. by with ): Law courts must deal with lawbreakers.
3. to conduct oneself toward persons: He deals fairly.
4. to be able to handle competently or successfully; cope (fol. by with ): I can't deal with your personal problems.
5. to trade or do business (fol. by with or in ): to deal with a firm; to deal in used cars.
6. to distribute, esp. the cards in a game (often fol. by out ): to deal out five hands of six cards each; your turn to deal.
7. Slang. to buy and sell drugs illegally.
8. Archaic. to have dealings or commerce, often in a secret or underhand manner (often fol. by with ): to deal with the Devil.
v.t.
9. to give to one as a share; apportion: Deal me in.
10. to distribute among a number of recipients, as the cards required in a game: Deal five cards to each player.
11. Cards. to give a player (a specific card) in dealing: You dealt yourself four aces.
12. to deliver; administer: to deal a blow.
13. Slang. to buy and sell (drugs) illegally.
14. Slang. to trade (an athlete) to another team.
15. deal off ,
a. Poker. to deal the final hand of a game.
b. Slang. to get rid of or trade (something or someone) in a transaction.
16. deal someone in , Slang. to include: He was making a lot of dough in the construction business so I got him to deal me in.
n.
17. a business transaction: They closed the deal after a week of negotiating.
18. a bargain or arrangement for mutual advantage: the best deal in town.
19. a secret or underhand agreement or bargain: His supporters worked a number of deals to help his campaign.
20. Informal. treatment received in dealing with another: He got a raw deal.
21. an indefinite but large quantity, amount, extent, or degree (usually prec. by good or great ): a good deal of work; a great deal of money.
22. Cards.
a. the distribution of cards to the players in a game.
b. the set of cards in one's hand.
c. the turn of a player to deal.
d. the period of time during which a deal is played.
23. an act of dealing or distributing.
24. ( cap. ) an economic and social policy pursued by a political administration: the Fair Deal; the New Deal.
25. Obs. portion; share.
26. cut a deal , Informal. to make an agreement, esp. a business agreement: Networks have cut a deal with foreign stations for an international hookup.
[ bef. 900; (v.) ME delen, OE daelan (c. G teilen ), deriv. of dael part (c. G Teil ); (n.) in part deriv. of the v.; (in defs. 21 and 25) ME deel, del ( e ), OE dael ]
Syn. 3. act, behave. 5. traffic. 10. allot, assign, dole; mete, dispense. 18. pact, contract.
deal 2
/deel/ , n.
1. a board or plank, esp. of fir or pine, cut to any of various standard sizes.
2. such boards collectively.
3. fir or pine wood.
adj.
4. made of deal.
[ 1375-1425; late ME dele ]