deal¹—verb (used without object), dealt, deal·ing.

1. to occupy oneself or itself (usually followed by with or in): Botany deals with the study of plants. He deals in generalities.
2. to take action with respect to a thing or person (followed by with): Law courts must deal with lawbreakers.
3. to conduct oneself toward persons: He deals fairly.
4. to be able to handle competently or successfully; cope (followed by with): I can't deal with your personal problems.
5. to trade or do business (followed by with or in): to deal with a firm; to deal in used cars.
6. to distribute, especially the cards in a game (often followed by out): to deal out five hands of six cards each; your turn to deal.
7. Slang.to buy and sell drugs illegally.
8. Archaic.to have dealings or commerce, often in a secret or underhand manner (often followed by with): to deal with the Devil.

—verb (used with object), dealt, deal·ing.

9. to give to one as a share; apportion: Deal me in.
10. to distribute among a number of recipients, as the cards required in a game: Deal five cards to each player.
11. Cards.to give a player (a specific card) in dealing: You dealt yourself four aces.
12. to deliver; administer: to deal a blow.
13. Slang.to buy and sell (drugs) illegally.
14. Slang.to trade (an athlete) to another team.

—noun

15. a business transaction: They closed the deal after a week of negotiating.
16. a bargain or arrangement for mutual advantage: the best deal in town.
17. a secret or underhand agreement or bargain: His supporters worked a number of deals to help his campaign.
18. Informal.treatment received in dealing with another: He got a raw deal.
19. an indefinite but large quantity, amount, extent, or degree (usually preceded by good or great): a good deal of work; a great deal of money.
20. Cards.
    1. the distribution of cards to the players in a game.
    2. the set of cards in one's hand.
    3. the turn of a player to deal.
    4. the period of time during which a deal is played.
21. an act of dealing or distributing.
22. (initial capital letter)an economic and social policy pursued by a political administration: the Fair Deal; the New Deal.
23. Obsolete.portion; share.

—Verb Phrases

24. deal off,
    1. Poker. to deal the final hand of a game.
    2. Slang. to get rid of or trade (something or someone) in a transaction.

—Idioms

25. cut a deal, Informal.to make an agreement, especially a business agreement: Networks have cut a deal with foreign stations for an international hookup.
26. deal someone in, Slang.to include: He was making a lot of dough in the construction business so I got him to deal me in.

Origin: before 900; (v.) Middle English delen, Old English dǣlan (cognate with German teilen), derivative of dǣl part (cognate with German Teil); (noun) in part derivative of the v.; (in defs 19, 23) Middle English deel, del(e), Old English dǣl

—Synonyms
3. act, behave. 5. traffic. 10. allot, assign, dole; mete, dispense. 16. pact, contract.