deal (English, verb)
Pronunciation: enpr: dēl
ipa: /diːl/
rhymes: -iːl
Etymology: From Middle English delen, from Old English dǣlan (“to divide, part”), from Proto-West Germanic *dailijan, from Proto-Germanic *dailijaną (“to divide, part, deal”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰail- (“part, watershed”).
Cognates
Cognate with West Frisian diele (“to divide, separate”), Dutch delen, German teilen, Swedish dela; and with Lithuanian dalinti (“divide”), Russian дели́ть (delítʹ).
Definitions: examples: text: The fighting is over; now we deal out the spoils of victory.
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type: example
text: Rome deals out her blessings and her gold.
ref: a'''. 1740, Thomas Tickell, “An Epistle from a lady in England to a gentleman at Avignon”, in Charles Churchil, editor, The Poetical Works of Churchill, Parnell, and Tickell: With a Life of Each, published 1880, page 51:
type: quote
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synonyms: apportion
divvy up
share
share out
portion out
glosses: To distribute among a number of recipients, to give out as one’s portion or share.
tags: transitive
examples: text: "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?"
ref: 1820, [Walter Scott], chapter 30, in The Abbot. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne & Co.] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, […], →OCLC:
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text: Norwich returned to second in the Championship with victory over Nottingham Forest, whose promotion hopes were dealt another blow.
ref: 2011 April 15, Saj Chowdhury, “Norwich 2 - 1 Nott'm Forest”, in BBC Sport:
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synonyms: administer
allot
deal out
dish out
dispense
distribute
dole out
hand out
lot
mete out
parcel out
shell out
glosses: To administer or give out, as in small portions.
tags: transitive
examples: text: I was dealt four aces.
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type: example
text: The cards were shuffled, and the croupier dealt.
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type: example
glosses: To distribute cards to the players in a game.
tags: ambitransitive
examples: text: The boxer was dealt a blow to the head.
text: This is a heavy-handed weapon attack that can be made with a two-handed weapon, that will deal damage equal to 4 times your size category
ref: 2009, Jake Conner, Maverick, Strategy RPG: Core Rulebook, page 99
glosses: deliver damage, a blow, strike or cut. To inflict.
tags: transitive
examples: text: The whole crowd waited for him to deal a real humdinger.
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type: example
topics: ball-games
baseball
games
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
synonyms: pitch
throw
glosses: To pitch.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1838, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], chapter 11, in Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy’s Progress. […], volume (please specify |volume=I, II, or III), London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC:
type: quote
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text: When the spice flow stops, all eyes will turn to Arrakis. The Baron and the Emperor himself will be forced to deal with us.
ref: 1984, 1:45:55 from the start, in Dune (Science Fiction), spoken by Paul Atreides, →OCLC:
type: quote
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glosses: To have dealings or business.
tags: intransitive
examples: text: In Deheubarth that now South-wales is hight, / What time king Ryence raign'd, and dealed right [...].
ref: 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
type: quote
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glosses: To conduct oneself, to behave.
tags: intransitive
examples: text: Wel said syr Uwayne go on your waye, and lete me dele.
ref: 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book IV, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC:
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glosses: To take action; to act.
tags: intransitive
obsolete
examples: text: She deals in gold.
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type: example
synonyms: sell
trade
bargain
glosses: To trade professionally (followed by in).
tags: intransitive
examples: text: This club takes a dim view of members who deal drugs.
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type: example
synonyms: sell
glosses: To sell, especially to sell illicit drugs.
tags: ambitransitive
examples: text: Science, it cannot be too often repeated, deals with tangible phenomena.
ref: 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 14]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC:
type: quote
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glosses: To be concerned with.
tags: intransitive
examples: text: Then there was the sound of a struggle, and I knew that the attendants were dealing with him.
ref: 1897, Bram Stoker, chapter 19, in Dracula, New York, N.Y.: Modern Library, →OCLC:
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text: I can't deal with this.
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type: example
text: I don't think he wants to go. — Yeah, well, we're going anyway, and he can deal.
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type: example
glosses: To handle, to manage, to cope.
tags: intransitive
Forms: form: deals
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: dealing
tags: participle
present
form: dealt
tags: participle
past
form: dealt
tags: past
form: dealed
tags: nonstandard
participle
past
form: dealed
tags: nonstandard
past
Derived terms: bedeal
fardel
interdeal
misdeal
overdeal
redeal
undealable
underdeal
dealable → undealable
dealer
dealth
dealy
deal a bad hand
deal a good hand
deal a hand
deal in
deal it out
deal to
deal with
death-dealing
double deal
self-deal
wheel and deal