Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Deal \Deal\, v. i.
   1. To make distribution; to share out in portions, as cards
      to the players.

   2. To do a distributing or retailing business, as
      distinguished from that of a manufacturer or producer; to
      traffic; to trade; to do business; as, he deals in flour.

            They buy and sell, they deal and traffic. --South.

            This is to drive to wholesale trade, when all other
            petty merchants deal but for parcels. --Dr. H. More.

   3. To act as an intermediary in business or any affairs; to
      manage; to make arrangements; -- followed by between or
      with.

            Sometimes he that deals between man and man, raiseth
            his own credit with both, by pretending greater
            interest than he hath in either.      --Bacon.

   4. To conduct one's self; to behave or act in any affair or
      towards any one; to treat.

            If he will deal clearly and impartially, . . . he
            will acknowledge all this to be true. --Tillotson.

   5. To contend (with); to treat (with), by way of opposition,
      check, or correction; as, he has turbulent passions to
      deal with.

   {To deal by}, to treat, either well or ill; as, to deal well
      by servants. ``Such an one deals not fairly by his own
      mind.'' --Locke.

   {To deal in}.
      (a) To have to do with; to be engaged in; to practice; as,
          they deal in political matters.
      (b) To buy and sell; to furnish, as a retailer or
          wholesaler; as, they deal in fish.

   {To deal with}.
      (a) To treat in any manner; to use, whether well or ill;
          to have to do with; specifically, to trade with.
          ``Dealing with witches.'' --Shak.
      (b) To reprove solemnly; to expostulate with.

                The deacons of his church, who, to use their own
                phrase, ``dealt with him'' on the sin of
                rejecting the aid which Providence so manifestly
                held out.                         --Hawthorne.

                Return . . . and I will deal well with thee.
                                                  --Gen. xxxii.
                                                  9.

Deal \Deal\ (d[=e]l), n. [OE. del, deel, part, AS. d[=ae]l; akin
   to OS. d[=e]l, D. & Dan. deel, G. theil, teil, Icel. deild,
   Sw. del, Goth. dails. [root]65. Cf. 3d {Dole}.]
   1. A part or portion; a share; hence, an indefinite quantity,
      degree, or extent, degree, or extent; as, a deal of time
      and trouble; a deal of cold.

            Three tenth deals [parts of an ephah] of flour.
                                                  --Num. xv. 9.

            As an object of science it [the Celtic genius] may
            count for a good deal . . . as a spiritual power.
                                                  --M. Arnold.

            She was resolved to be a good deal more circumspect.
                                                  --W. Black.

   Note: It was formerly limited by some, every, never a, a
         thousand, etc.; as, some deal; but these are now
         obsolete or vulgar. In general, we now qualify the word
         with great or good, and often use it adverbially, by
         being understood; as, a great deal of time and pains; a
         great (or good) deal better or worse; that is, better
         by a great deal, or by a great part or difference.

   2. The process of dealing cards to the players; also, the
      portion disturbed.

            The deal, the shuffle, and the cut.   --Swift.

   3. Distribution; apportionment. [Colloq.]

   4. An arrangement to attain a desired result by a combination
      of interested parties; -- applied to stock speculations
      and political bargains. [Slang]

   5. [Prob. from D. deel a plank, threshing floor. See
      {Thill}.] The division of a piece of timber made by
      sawing; a board or plank; particularly, a board or plank
      of fir or pine above seven inches in width, and exceeding
      six feet in length. If narrower than this, it is called a
      batten; if shorter, a deal end.

   Note: Whole deal is a general term for planking one and one
         half inches thick.

   6. Wood of the pine or fir; as, a floor of deal.

   {Deal tree}, a fir tree. --Dr. Prior.

Deal \Deal\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Dealt} (d[e^]lt); p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Dealing}.] [OE. delen, AS. d[=ae]lan, fr. d[=ae]l share;
   akin to OS. d[=e]lian, D. deelen, G. theilen, teilen, Icel.
   deila, Sw. dela, Dan. dele, Goth. dailjan. See {Deal}, n.]
   1. To divide; to separate in portions; hence, to give in
      portions; to distribute; to bestow successively; --
      sometimes with out.

            Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry? --Is.
                                                  lviii. 7.

            And Rome deals out her blessings and her gold.
                                                  --Tickell.

            The nightly mallet deals resounding blows. --Gay.

            Hissing through the skies, the feathery deaths were
            dealt.                                --Dryden.

   2. Specifically: To distribute, as cards, to the players at
      the commencement of a game; as, to deal the cards; to deal
      one a jack.

Source : WordNet®

deal
     adj : made of fir or pine; "a plain deal table"
     [also: {dealt}]

deal
     n 1: a particular instance of buying or selling; "it was a
          package deal"; "I had no further trade with him"; "he's
          a master of the business deal" [syn: {trade}, {business
          deal}]
     2: an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after
        discussion) fixing obligations of each; "he made a bargain
        with the devil"; "he rose to prominence through a series
        of shady deals" [syn: {bargain}]
     3: (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent;
        "a batch of letters"; "a deal of trouble"; "a lot of
        money"; "he made a mint on the stock market"; "it must
        have cost plenty" [syn: {batch}, {flock}, {good deal}, {great
        deal}, {hatful}, {heap}, {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}]
     4: a plank of softwood (fir or pine board)
     5: wood that is easy to saw (from conifers such as pine or fir)
        [syn: {softwood}]
     6: the cards held in a card game by a given player at any given
        time; "I didn't hold a good hand all evening"; "he kept
        trying to see my hand" [syn: {hand}]
     7: the type of treatment received (especially as the result of
        an agreement); "he got a good deal on his car"
     8: the act of distributing playing cards; "the deal was passed
        around the table clockwise"
     9: the act of apportioning or distributing something; "the
        captain was entrusted with the deal of provisions"
     [also: {dealt}]

deal
     v 1: deal with verbally or in some form of artistic expression;
          "This book deals with incest"; "The course covered all
          of Western Civilization"; "The new book treats the
          history of China" [syn: {cover}, {treat}, {handle}, {plow},
           {address}]
     2: take action with respect to (someone or something); "How are
        we going to deal with this problem?"; "The teacher knew
        how to deal with these lazy students"
     3: take into consideration for exemplifying purposes; "Take the
        case of China"; "Consider the following case" [syn: {consider},
         {take}, {look at}]
     4: come to terms or deal successfully with; "We got by on just
        a gallon of gas"; "They made do on half a loaf of bread
        every day" [syn: {cope}, {get by}, {make out}, {make do},
        {contend}, {grapple}, {manage}]
     5: administer or bestow, as in small portions; "administer
        critical remarks to everyone present"; "dole out some
        money"; "shell out pocket money for the children"; "deal a
        blow to someone" [syn: {distribute}, {administer}, {mete
        out}, {parcel out}, {lot}, {dispense}, {shell out}, {deal
        out}, {dish out}, {allot}, {dole out}]
     6: do business; offer for sale as for one's livelihood; "She
        deals in gold"; "The brothers sell shoes" [syn: {sell}, {trade}]
     7: be in charge of, act on, or dispose of; "I can deal with
        this crew of workers"; "This blender can't handle nuts";
        "She managed her parents' affairs after they got too old"
        [syn: {manage}, {care}, {handle}]
     8: behave in a certain way towards others; "He deals fairly
        with his employees"
     9: distribute to the players in a game; "Who's dealing?"
     10: direct the course of; manage or control; "You cannot conduct
         business like this" [syn: {conduct}, {carry on}]
     11: give out as one's portion or share [syn: {share}, {divvy up},
          {portion out}, {apportion}]
     12: give (a specific card) to a player; "He dealt me the Queen
         of Spades"
     13: sell; "deal hashish"
     [also: {dealt}]