deal

Etymology 1

From Middle English del, dele, from Old English dǣl (“part, share, portion”), from Proto-West Germanic *daili, 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”), Swedish del ("part, portion, piece") Icelandic deila (“division, contention”), Gothic 𐌳𐌰𐌹𐌻𐍃 (dails, “portion”), Slovene del (“part”). Related to Old English dāl (“portion”). More at dole.

noun

1. (obsolete) A division, a portion, a share, a part, a piece.
   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).
   “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.” 1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 3, in Well Tackled!
   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. 2013-06-07, David Simpson, “Fantasy of navigation”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 36

Etymology 2

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).

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.
   Rome deals out her blessings and her gold. 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
2. (transitive) To administer or give out, as in small portions.
   Norwich returned to second in the Championship with victory over Nottingham Forest, whose promotion hopes were dealt another blow. April 15, 2011, Saj Chowdhury, “Norwich 2 - 1 Nott'm Forest”, in BBC Sport
3. (transitive, intransitive) To distribute cards to the players in a game.
   I was dealt four aces.
   The cards were shuffled, and the croupier dealt.
4. (transitive) deliver damage, a blow, strike or cut. To inflict.
   The boxer was dealt a blow to the head.
   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 2009, Jake Conner, Maverick, Strategy RPG: Core Rulebook, page 99
5. (baseball) To pitch.
   The whole crowd waited for him to deal a real humdinger.
6. (intransitive) To have dealings or business.
   When the spice flow stops, all eyes will turn to Arrakis. The Baron and the Emperor himself will be forced to deal with us. 1984, 1:45:55 from the start, in Dune (Science Fiction), spoken by Paul Atreides, →OCLC
7. (intransitive) To conduct oneself, to behave.
8. (obsolete, intransitive) To take action; to act.
9. (intransitive) To trade professionally (followed by in).
   She deals in gold.
10. (transitive, intransitive) To sell, especially to sell illicit drugs.
    This club takes a dim view of members who deal drugs.
11. (intransitive) To be concerned with.
12. (intransitive) To handle, to manage, to cope.
    I can't deal with this.
    I don't think he wants to go. — Yeah, well, we're going anyway, and he can deal.

noun

1. (archaic in general sense) An act of dealing or sharing out.
2. (card games) 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 trading (buying or selling; exchanging; bartering); a transaction.
   We need to finalise the deal with Henderson by midnight.
   recognizing the societal deal between capital and labor regarding retirement savings
   The deal, which overtakes the £50m paid to Liverpool by Chelsea for Fernando Torres in January 2011 as the highest paid by a British club, takes United’s summer spend to £130.7m, following the £27m spent on Luke Shaw, the £28m for Ander Herrera and £16m for Marcos Rojo. 26 August 2014, Jamie Jackson, “Ángel di María says Manchester United were the ‘only club’ after Real”, in The Guardian
4. (in particular) A transaction offered which is financially beneficial; a bargain.
   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. 2009, The Guardian, Virginia Wallis, 22 Jul 2009
5. An agreement between parties; an arrangement.
   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. 20 Jul 2009, Jennifer Steinhauer, New York Times
   He made a deal with the devil.
   I didn't deserve it, but he cut me a deal.
   to cut a deal, to cut deals
   to cut a fantastic deal, to cut a raw deal
6. (informal) A situation, occasion, or event.
   What's the deal here?
   Their new movie is the biggest deal of the year.
   I don't think that's such a big deal.
7. (informal) A thing, an unspecified or unidentified object.
   The deal with four tines is called a pitchfork.
   I've never killed anybody before. I don't see what's the big deal. 1996, Graham Yost, Broken Arrow, spoken by Major Vic "Deak" Deakins (John Travolta)

Etymology 3

From Middle English dele (“plank”), from Middle Low German dele, from Old Saxon thili, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *þiljǭ (“plank, board”); cognate with Old English þille. Doublet of thill.

noun

1. (uncountable) Wood that is easy to saw (from conifers such as pine or fir).
   1722, Daniel Defoe, A Journal of the Plague Year, London: E. Nutt et al., p. 86, Some Houses were […] entirely lock’d up, the Doors padlockt, the Windows and Doors having Deal Boards nail’d over them,
2. (countable) A plank of softwood (fir or pine board).
3. (countable, archaic) A wooden board or plank, usually between 12 or 14 feet in length, traded as a commodity in shipbuilding.
   It shall not be lawful for any person to land any timber, planks or board, deals, staves, tar, pitch, turpentine, rozin or other the commodities aforesaid, on any part of the present quays within the city of Bristol, from any vessel coming into the said port... 1819, Charles Pope, Practical abridgement of the laws of customs and excise, 5th edition, page CCXLIII
   Swedish deals from ports in the Baltic 1840, John Ramsey McCulloch, “Docks on the Thames (London)”, in A Dictionary Practical, Theoretical and Historical of Commerce and Commercial Navigation, volume 1, Thomas Wardle, page 590
   1 deal (US) = 12 ft x 11 in. x 3/2 in. (E) 2003, François Cardarelli, Encyclopaedia of Scientific Units, Weights, and Measures, page 52
4. (a) Male genitalia.
   He saw my deal!

adj

1. Made of deal.
   A plain deal table