Deal

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /dɪəɫ/
• US enPR: dÄ“l, IPA: /diːl/
• Rhymes: -iːl

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.

Full definition of deal

Noun

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, 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, Well Tackled! Chapter 3, “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.”
• 2013-06-07, David Simpson, Fantasy of navigation, Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good deal in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth.

Synonyms

• (act of apportioning or distributing) allotment, apportionment, distribution, doling out, sharing, sharing out
• (large number or amount or extent) batch, flock, good deal, great deal, hatful, heap, load, lot, mass, mess, mickle, mint, muckle, peck, pile, plenty, pot, quite a little, raft, sight, slew, spate, stack, tidy sum, wad, whole lot, whole slew

Derived terms

• (indefinite quantity) a great deal, a good deal, big deal, real deal

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

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.
• TickellRome deals out her blessings and her gold.
2. (transitive) To administer or give out, as in small portions.
• 1820, 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, 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.
12. I can't deal with this.

Synonyms

• (distribute among a number of recipients) apportion, divvy up, share, share out, portion out
• (administer in portions) administer, allot, deal out, dish out, dispense, distribute, dole out, hand out, lot, mete out, parcel out, shell out
• (distribute (cards))
• (baseball slang: to pitch) pitch, throw
• (have dealings with)
• (trade) sell, trade, bargain
• (sell (illicit drugs)) sell
• (be concerned with)
• (handle, cope)

Derived terms

• deal with
• dealer
• dealy

Noun

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 transactionWe 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.
6. He made a deal with the devil.
7. (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?
8. (informal) A thing, an unspecified or unidentified object.The deal with four tines is called a pitchfork.

Synonyms

• (cards held in a card game by a player at any given time) hand
• (instance of buying or selling) business deal, sale, trade, transaction
• (a beneficial transaction) steal, bargain
• (agreement between parties fixing obligations of each) contract, pact

Derived terms

Middle Low German dele, cognate with Old English þille.

Noun

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

• (wood that is easy to saw, from conifers such as pine or fir)
• (plank of softwood)

Adjective

1. Made of deal.A plain deal table
• 1913, D. H. Lawrence, ,She glanced round the kitchen. It was small and curious to her, with its glittering kissing-bunch, its evergreens behind the pictures, its wooden chairs and little deal table.
• 1919, William Somerset Maugham, ,Through the open door you see a red-tiled floor, a large wooden bed, and on a deal table a ewer and a basin.

Anagrams

• Adel
• dale, Dale
• E.D. La.
• lade
• lead