noun
deal
DEEL
noun
1
An agreement or arrangement between parties, especially a business one.
"They finally struck a deal after months of negotiation."
"It's a good deal — you get two for the price of one."
2
An indefinite but large amount (usually as "a great deal" or "a good deal").
"That took a great deal of effort."
verb
1
To take action regarding something, or handle a situation.
"I'll deal with the complaint tomorrow morning."
"She dealt with the crisis calmly."
2
To trade or do business, especially buying and selling.
"The shop deals in vintage furniture."
"He was arrested for dealing drugs."
3
To give out playing cards to players in a game.
"She shuffled the deck and dealt the cards."
How to Use Deal
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn agreement or bargain, or the act of handling/distributing something (including cards).
Common mistake
"Deal with" (handle) and "deal in" (trade) change meaning with the preposition — don't drop it.
Common pairings
strike a deal
deal with a problem
deal cards
great deal of
Word Forms
dealt past tense, dealed past tense, deals plural, deals plural, deals plural, deals singular
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They finally struck a _____ after months of negotiation.
Etymology
From Old English dael, meaning "part" or "share", related to dole.