From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Deal \Deal\ (d[=e]l), n. [OE. del, deel, part, AS. d[=ae]l; akin
to OS. d[=e]l, D. & Dan. deel, G. theil, teil, Icel. deild,
Sw. del, Goth. dails. [root]65. Cf. 3d Dole.]
1. A part or portion; a share; hence, an indefinite quantity,
degree, or extent, degree, or extent; as, a deal of time
and trouble; a deal of cold.
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Three tenth deals [parts of an ephah] of flour.
--Num. xv. 9.
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As an object of science it [the Celtic genius] may
count for a good deal . . . as a spiritual power.
--M. Arnold.
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She was resolved to be a good deal more circumspect.
--W. Black.
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Note: It was formerly limited by some, every, never a, a
thousand, etc.; as, some deal; but these are now
obsolete or vulgar. In general, we now qualify the word
with great or good, and often use it adverbially, by
being understood; as, a great deal of time and pains; a
great (or good) deal better or worse; that is, better
by a great deal, or by a great part or difference.
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2. The process of dealing cards to the players; also, the
portion disturbed.
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The deal, the shuffle, and the cut. --Swift.
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3. Distribution; apportionment. [Colloq.]
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4. An arrangement to attain a desired result by a combination
of interested parties; -- applied to stock speculations
and political bargains. [Slang]
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5. [Prob. from D. deel a plank, threshing floor. See
Thill.] The division of a piece of timber made by
sawing; a board or plank; particularly, a board or plank
of fir or pine above seven inches in width, and exceeding
six feet in length. If narrower than this, it is called a
batten; if shorter, a deal end.
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Note: Whole deal is a general term for planking one and one
half inches thick.
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6. Wood of the pine or fir; as, a floor of deal.
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Deal tree, a fir tree. --Dr. Prior.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Deal \Deal\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dealt (d[e^]lt); p. pr. & vb.
n. Dealing.] [OE. delen, AS. d[=ae]lan, fr. d[=ae]l share;
akin to OS. d[=e]lian, D. deelen, G. theilen, teilen, Icel.
deila, Sw. dela, Dan. dele, Goth. dailjan. See Deal, n.]
1. To divide; to separate in portions; hence, to give in
portions; to distribute; to bestow successively; --
sometimes with out.
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Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry? --Is.
lviii. 7.
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And Rome deals out her blessings and her gold.
--Tickell.
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The nightly mallet deals resounding blows. --Gay.
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Hissing through the skies, the feathery deaths were
dealt. --Dryden.
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2. Specifically: To distribute, as cards, to the players at
the commencement of a game; as, to deal the cards; to deal
one a jack.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Deal \Deal\, v. i.
1. To make distribution; to share out in portions, as cards
to the players.
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2. To do a distributing or retailing business, as
distinguished from that of a manufacturer or producer; to
traffic; to trade; to do business; as, he deals in flour.
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They buy and sell, they deal and traffic. --South.
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This is to drive to wholesale trade, when all other
petty merchants deal but for parcels. --Dr. H. More.
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3. To act as an intermediary in business or any affairs; to
manage; to make arrangements; -- followed by between or
with.
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Sometimes he that deals between man and man, raiseth
his own credit with both, by pretending greater
interest than he hath in either. --Bacon.
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4. To conduct one's self; to behave or act in any affair or
towards any one; to treat.
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If he will deal clearly and impartially, . . . he
will acknowledge all this to be true. --Tillotson.
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5. To contend (with); to treat (with), by way of opposition,
check, or correction; as, he has turbulent passions to
deal with.
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To deal by, to treat, either well or ill; as, to deal well
by servants. "Such an one deals not fairly by his own
mind." --Locke.
To deal in.
(a) To have to do with; to be engaged in; to practice; as,
they deal in political matters.
(b) To buy and sell; to furnish, as a retailer or
wholesaler; as, they deal in fish.
To deal with.
(a) To treat in any manner; to use, whether well or ill;
to have to do with; specifically, to trade with.
"Dealing with witches." --Shak.
(b) To reprove solemnly; to expostulate with.
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The deacons of his church, who, to use their own
phrase, "dealt with him" on the sin of rejecting
the aid which Providence so manifestly held out.
--Hawthorne.
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Return . . . and I will deal well with thee.
--Gen. xxxii.
9.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
deal
n 1: a particular instance of buying or selling; "it was a
package deal"; "I had no further trade with him"; "he's a
master of the business deal" [syn: deal, trade,
business deal]
2: an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after
discussion) fixing obligations of each; "he made a bargain
with the devil"; "he rose to prominence through a series of
shady deals" [syn: bargain, deal]
3: (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent;
"a batch of letters"; "a deal of trouble"; "a lot of money";
"he made a mint on the stock market"; "see the rest of the
winners in our huge passel of photos"; "it must have cost
plenty"; "a slew of journalists"; "a wad of money" [syn:
batch, deal, flock, good deal, great deal,
hatful, heap, lot, mass, mess, mickle, mint,
mountain, muckle, passel, peck, pile, plenty,
pot, quite a little, raft, sight, slew, spate,
stack, tidy sum, wad]
4: a plank of softwood (fir or pine board)
5: wood that is easy to saw (from conifers such as pine or fir)
[syn: softwood, deal]
6: the cards held in a card game by a given player at any given
time; "I didn't hold a good hand all evening"; "he kept
trying to see my hand" [syn: hand, deal]
7: the type of treatment received (especially as the result of
an agreement); "he got a good deal on his car"
8: the act of distributing playing cards; "the deal was passed
around the table clockwise"
9: the act of apportioning or distributing something; "the
captain was entrusted with the deal of provisions"
v 1: act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression;
"This book deals with incest"; "The course covered all of
Western Civilization"; "The new book treats the history of
China" [syn: cover, treat, handle, plow, deal,
address]
2: take into consideration for exemplifying purposes; "Take the
case of China"; "Consider the following case" [syn:
consider, take, deal, look at]
3: take action with respect to (someone or something); "How are
we going to deal with this problem?"; "The teacher knew how
to deal with these lazy students"
4: come to terms with; "We got by on just a gallon of gas";
"They made do on half a loaf of bread every day" [syn:
cope, get by, make out, make do, contend,
grapple, deal, manage]
5: administer or bestow, as in small portions; "administer
critical remarks to everyone present"; "dole out some money";
"shell out pocket money for the children"; "deal a blow to
someone"; "the machine dispenses soft drinks" [syn:
distribute, administer, mete out, deal, parcel out,
lot, dispense, shell out, deal out, dish out,
allot, dole out]
6: do business; offer for sale as for one's livelihood; "She
deals in gold"; "The brothers sell shoes" [syn: deal,
sell, trade]
7: be in charge of, act on, or dispose of; "I can deal with this
crew of workers"; "This blender can't handle nuts"; "She
managed her parents' affairs after they got too old" [syn:
manage, deal, care, handle]
8: behave in a certain way towards others; "He deals fairly with
his employees"
9: distribute cards to the players in a game; "Who's dealing?"
10: direct the course of; manage or control; "You cannot conduct
business like this" [syn: conduct, carry on, deal]
11: give out as one's portion or share [syn: share, {divvy
up}, portion out, apportion, deal]
12: give (a specific card) to a player; "He dealt me the Queen
of Spades"
13: sell; "deal hashish"