deal

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Contents

English [edit]

Pronunciation [edit]

Etymology 1 [edit]

From Middle English dele, from Old English dǣl (“part, share, portion”), from Proto-Germanic *dailiz (“part, deal”), from Proto-Indo-European *dhAil- (“part, watershed”). Cognate with Scots dele (“part, portion”), West Frisian diel (“part, share”), Dutch deel (“part, share, portion”), German Teil (“part, portion, section”), Danish del (“part”), Icelandic deila (“division, contention”), Gothic 𐌳𐌰𐌹𐌻𐍃 (dails, “portion”). Related to Old English dāl (“portion”). More at dole.

Noun [edit]

deal (plural deals)

  1. (obsolete) A division, a portion, a share.
    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).
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book VII.2:
      Than the knyght armyte put a thynge in hys nose and a litill dele of watir in hys mowthe, and than Sir Launcelot waked of hys swowghe.
    • 1814, Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, ch. 2:
      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, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, ch. 32:
      There is a deal of obscurity concerning the identity of the species thus multitudinously baptized.
    • 1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 3, Well Tackled![1]:
      “They know our boats will stand up to their work,” said Willison, “and that counts for a good deal. A low estimate from us doesn't mean scamped work, but just that we want to keep the yard busy over a slack time.”
Synonyms [edit]
Derived terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
division, share
large number or amount or extent

Etymology 2 [edit]

From Middle English delen, from Old English dǣlan (“to divide, part”), from Proto-Germanic *dailijaną (“to divide, part, deal”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰail- (“part, watershed”). Cognate with West Frisian diele (“to divide, separate”), Dutch delen, German teilen, Swedish dela; and with Lithuanian dalinti (“divide”), Russian делить.

Verb [edit]

deal (third-person singular simple present 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.
    The fighting is over; now we deal out the spoils of victory.
  2. (transitive) To administer or give out, as in small portions.
    • 1820, Sir Walter Scott, The Abbot, ch. 30:
      "Away, proud woman!" said the Lady; "who ever knew so well as thou to deal the deepest wounds under the pretence of kindness and courtesy?"
    • 2011 April 15, Saj Chowdhury, “Norwich 2 - 1 Nott'm Forest”, BBC Sport:
      Norwich returned to second in the Championship with victory over Nottingham Forest, whose promotion hopes were dealt another blow.
  3. To distribute cards to the players in a game.
    I was dealt four aces.
    The cards were shuffled and dealt by the croupier.
  4. (baseball) To pitch.
    The whole crowd waited for him to deal a real humdinger.
  5. (intransitive) To have dealings or business.
    • 1838, Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist, ch. 11:
      Mr. Brownlow contrived to state his case; observing that, in the surprise of the moment, he had run after the boy because he saw him running away; and expressing his hope that, if the magistrate should believe him, although not actually the thief, to be connected with thieves; he would deal as leniently with him as justice would allow.
  6. (intransitive) To conduct oneself, to behave.
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.ii:
      In Deheubarth that now South-wales is hight, / What time king Ryence raign'd, and dealed right [...].
  7. (obsolete, intransitive) To take action; to act.
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book IV:
      Wel said syr Uwayne go on your waye, and lete me dele.
  8. (intransitive) To trade professionally (followed by in).
    She deals in gold.
  9. (transitive) To sell, especially to sell illicit drugs.
    This club takes a dim view of members who deal drugs.
  10. (intransitive) To be concerned with.
    • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses, episode 14:
      Science, it cannot be too often repeated, deals with tangible phenomena.
  11. (intransitive) To handle, to manage, to cope.
    • 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula, ch 19:
      Then there was the sound of a struggle, and I knew that the attendants were dealing with him.
    I can't deal with this.
Synonyms [edit]
Derived terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
give out as one’s portion or share
administer in portions
distribute (cards)
to have dealings or business
baseball slang: to pitch
trade
sell (illicit drugs)
be concerned with
handle, manage
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Noun [edit]

deal (plural deals)

  1. (archaic in general sense) An act of dealing or sharing.
  2. The distribution of cards to players; a player's turn for this.
    I didn’t have a good deal all evening.
    I believe it's your deal.
  3. A particular instance of buying or selling, a transaction
    We need to finalise the deal with Henderson by midnight.
  4. Specifically, a transaction offered which is financially beneficial; a bargain.
    • 2009, The Guardian, Virginia Wallis, 22 Jul 2009:
      You also have to look at the kind of mortgage deals available to you and whether you will be able to trade up to the kind of property you are looking for.
  5. An agreement between parties; an arrangement
    • 2009, Jennifer Steinhauer, New York Times, 20 Jul 2009:
      California lawmakers, their state broke and its credit rating shot, finally sealed the deal with the governor Monday night on a plan to close a $26 billion budget gap.
    He made a deal with the devil.
  6. (informal) A situation, occasion, or event.
    "I've never killed anybody before. I don't see what's the big deal."
    Line spoken by character played by John Travolta in the movie Broken Arrow.
    What's the deal?
  7. (informal) A thing, an unspecified or unidentified object.
    The deal with four tines is called a pitchfork.
Synonyms [edit]
Derived terms [edit]
Terms derived from deal (noun)
Translations [edit]
distribution of cards
instance of buying or selling
agreement, arrangement
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Etymology 3 [edit]

Middle Low German dele, cognate with Old English þille.

Noun [edit]

deal (plural deals)

  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)
Synonyms [edit]
  • (wood that is easy to saw, from conifers such as pine or fir):
  • (plank of softwood):
Translations [edit]
wood that is easy to saw
plank of softwood

Adjective [edit]

deal (not comparable)

  1. Made of deal.
    A plain deal table
Translations [edit]
made of deal

Statistics [edit]

Anagrams [edit]

Romanian [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From a Slavic language. Compare Serbo-Croatian dol.

Noun [edit]

deal f and m

  1. hill
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