dealing

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
deal1

▶verb (past and past part. dealt)

• 1 distribute (cards) to players for a game or round.

  ■ (deal someone in) include a new player in a card game.

• 2 (deal something out) distribute or apportion something.

• 3 take part in commercial trading of a commodity.

  ■ buy and sell (illegal drugs).

  ■ (deal with) have commercial relations with.

• 4 (deal with) take measures concerning.

  ■ cope with.

  ■ have as a subject.

• 5 inflict (a blow) on.

▶noun

• 1 an agreement entered into by two or more parties for their mutual benefit.

  ■ a particular form of treatment: working mothers get a bad deal.

• 2 the process of dealing cards in a card game.

– phrases
a big deal [usu. with neg.] informal an important thing.

■ (big deal) used ironically to express contempt for something unimpressive.

a deal of a large amount of.
a good (or great) deal a large amount.

■ to a considerable extent.

a raw deal informal unfair or harsh treatment.
a square deal a fair arrangement.
it's a deal informal used to express assent to an agreement.

– derivatives
dealing noun.

– origin OE dǣlan ‘divide, participate’ of Gmc origin; rel. to dole1.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
deal2

▶noun fir or pine wood as a building material.

– origin ME: from Mid. Low Ger. and MDu. dele ‘plank’.