to occupy oneself or itself (usually followed by with or in): Botany deals with the study of plants. He deals in generalities.
to take action with respect to a thing or person (followed by with): Law courts must deal with lawbreakers.
to conduct oneself toward persons: He deals fairly.
to be able to handle competently or successfully; cope (followed by with): I can't deal with your personal problems.
to trade or do business (followed by with or in): to deal with a firm; to deal in used cars.
to distribute, especially the cards in a game (often followed by out): to deal out five hands of six cards each; your turn to deal.
Slang. to buy and sell drugs illegally.
Archaic. to have dealings or commerce, often in a secret or underhand manner (often followed by with): to deal with the Devil.
verb (used with object),dealt,deal·ing.
to give to one as a share; apportion: Deal me in.
to distribute among a number of recipients, as the cards required in a game: Deal five cards to each player.
Cards. to give a player (a specific card) in dealing: You dealt yourself four aces.
to deliver; administer: to deal a blow.
Slang. to buy and sell (drugs) illegally.
Slang. to trade (an athlete) to another team.
noun
a business transaction: They closed the deal after a week of negotiating.
a bargain or arrangement for mutual advantage: the best deal in town.
a secret or underhand agreement or bargain: His supporters worked a number of deals to help his campaign.
Informal. treatment received in dealing with another: He got a raw deal.
an indefinite but large quantity, amount, extent, or degree (usually preceded by good or great): a good deal of work; a great deal of money.
Cards.
the distribution of cards to the players in a game.
the set of cards in one's hand.
the turn of a player to deal.
the period of time during which a deal is played.
an act of dealing or distributing.
(initial capital letter) an economic and social policy pursued by a political administration: the Fair Deal; the New Deal.
Obsolete. portion; share.
Verb Phrases
deal off,
Poker.to deal the final hand of a game.
Slang.to get rid of or trade (something or someone) in a transaction.
Idioms for deal
cut a deal, Informal. to make an agreement, especially a business agreement: Networks have cut a deal with foreign stations for an international hookup.
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.
Origin of deal
1
before 900; (v.) Middle English delen,Old English dǣlan (cognate with German teilen), derivative of dǣl part (cognate with German Teil); (noun) in part derivative of the v.; (in defs. 19, 23) Middle English deel, del(e), Old English dǣl
SYNONYMS FOR deal
3 act, behave.
5 traffic.
10 allot, assign, dole; mete, dispense.
16 pact, contract.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR deal ON THESAURUS.COM
Definition for deal (2 of 2)
deal2
[ deel ]
/ dil /
noun
a board or plank, especially of fir or pine, cut to any of various standard sizes.
such boards collectively.
fir or pine wood.
adjective
made of deal.
Origin of deal
2
1375–1425; late Middle English dele<Middle Low German or Middle Dutch; see thill