Deal

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /diːl/

Definitions

1. An agreement or arrangement between two or more parties, or to distribute cards in a game
2. A mutual understanding or contract between parties ; the act of giving out cards in a game ; to take action in managing or addressing a situation ; a significant amount or share of something
3. An established pact or settlement ; the process of handing out playing cards ; to cope with or control an issue ; a sizable portion or measure of an item

Etymology: The noun "deal" in its oldest sense had nothing to do with bargains. Its ancestor in Old English, "dǣl," meant simply a part, share or portion, and the same root gives German "Teil" and Dutch "deel" today. A "deal" was a portion of something, and the modern sense of a share or significant quantity ("a great deal of money") preserves that original meaning almost unchanged. The verb comes from Old English "dǣlan," meaning to divide or separate, from the same Germanic root. Its sense of distributing things among people, as when a dealer hands out cards, grew naturally from dividing a whole into shares. The idea of dividing a thing up between parties then gave rise to the sense of settling terms between them, which is how a mutual agreement came to be called a deal.

Synonyms: bargain, agreement, transaction, arrangement, settlement

Antonyms: disagreement, conflict, dispute, contention, dissent