treat
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: trēt
ipa: /tɹiːt/
ipa: [t̠ʰɹiːt]
ipa: [t̠ʃʰɹiːt]
rhymes: -iːt
Forms: form: treats
form: treating
form: treated
form: treated
form: tret
form: tret
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: treat
form: treat
form: treated
form: treat
form: treatest
form: treated
form: treatedst
form: treats
form: treateth
form: treated
form: treat
form: treated
form: treat
form: treated
form: treat
form: -
form: treating
form: treated
Etymology: From Middle English treten, from Anglo-Norman treter, Old French tretier, traiter, from Latin tractāre (“to pull", "to manage”), from the past participle stem of trahere (“to draw", "to pull”).
Senses: examples: text: Now halting a few paces before the Captains of the West he looked them up and down and laughed. 'Is there any in this rout with authority to treat with me?' he asked.
ref: 1955, J. R. R. Tolkien, The Return of the King, George Allen & Unwin:
text: After all, in this hideous war we have just passed through never forget that Halifax would have treated with Hitler: it took Churchill to refuse.
ref: 1985, Lawrence Durrell, Quinx, Faber & Faber:
text: I wouldn't promote businesses I considered immoral – ambulance-chasing lawyers or online roulette for example – but I've got nothing against computer or software manufacture: they're important and any reputable company in that industry is welcome to treat for my services.
ref: 2010 June 6, David Mitchell, The Observer:
glosses: To negotiate, discuss terms, bargain (for or with).
examples: text: Cicero's writing treats mainly of old age and personal duty.
text: Now of love they treat.
ref: 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
text: And, indeed, should the excellent Mr Broughton be prevailed on to set fist to paper, and to complete the above-said rudiments, by delivering down the true principles of athletics, I question whether the world will have any cause to lament, that none of the great writers, either antient or modern, have ever treated about that noble and useful art.
ref: 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling:
text: Rhetoric includes the earliest known theory on the proper use of metaphor; On Poetics treats the role of symbolism in drama and poetry.
ref: 1981, Aristotle, translated by W. Rhys Roberts and Ingram Bywater, Rhetoric and On Poetics, Pennsylvania: The Franklin Library, →OL, A Note on the Illustrations:
glosses: To discourse; to handle a subject in writing or speaking; to conduct a discussion.
examples: text: The article treated feminism as a quintessentially modern movement.
glosses: To discourse on; to represent or deal with in a particular way, in writing or speaking.
examples: text: Only let my family live, I treat thee.
text: To treate a tiran it is but thing in vayne.
ref: 1515, Alexander Barclay, Eclogues:
glosses: To entreat or beseech (someone).
examples: text: You treated me like a fool.
text: She was tempted to treat the whole affair as a joke.
synonyms: use
glosses: To handle, deal with or behave towards in a specific way.
examples: text: I treated my son to some popcorn in the interval.
text: I've done so well this month, I'll treat you all to dinner (or Dinner is my treat.)
text: My husband treated me to a Paris holiday for our anniversary.
glosses: To entertain with food or drink, especially at one's own expense; to show hospitality to; to pay for as celebration or reward.
topics: government
law
politics
glosses: To commit the offence of providing food, drink, entertainment or provision to corruptly influence a voter.
examples: text: They treated me for malaria.
text: We treated firefighters suffering from smoke inhalation, giving them oxygen to breathe and albuterol mist to help open their airways.
ref: 2018, Sandeep Jauhar, Heart: a History, →ISBN, page 204:
glosses: To care for medicinally or surgically; to apply medical care to.
examples: text: He treated the substance with sulphuric acid.
text: I treated the photo somewhat to make the colours more pronounced.
glosses: To subject to a chemical or other action; to act upon with a specific scientific result in mind.
examples: text: If good acting in movies is appealing and you enjoy live performances of theatre, you may soon be treated by the GMC's own endeavors in the theatrical arts.
ref: 1976 December 4, “Men's Center”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 23, page 2:
text: The Chelsea captain was a virtual spectator as he was treated to his side's biggest win for almost two years as Stamford Bridge serenaded him with chants of "there's only one England captain," some 48 hours after he announced his retirement from international football.
ref: 2012, Chelsea 6-0 Wolves:
glosses: To provide (someone) with something special and pleasant.
Synonyms: sense: to deal with in a very specific way
word: behandle
sense: give medical care or attention to
word: leech
sense: give medical care or attention to
word: make better
Derived terms: heat-treat
ill-treat
no way to treat a lady
pretreat
retreat
re-treat
treatable
treat 'em mean to keep 'em keen
treat like dirt
treat like garbage
treat like shit
treat like trash
treatment
treat of
treat-to-target
treat with kid gloves
untreatable
Related terms: sense: Terms etymologically related to treat (verb)
word: treatise
sense: Terms etymologically related to treat (verb)
word: treaty