before 900; (v.) Middle Englishdelen,Old Englishdǣlan (cognate with Germanteilen), derivative of dǣl part (cognate with GermanTeil); (noun) in part derivative of the v.; (in defs 19 and 23)Middle Englishdeel, del(e), Old Englishdǣl
from O.E. dæl "part, share, quantity," and its verbal derivative dælan "to divide," from P.Gmc. *dailaz; also found in Balto-Slavic (cf. O.C.S. delu "part," Lith. dalis). Meaning "to distribute cards before a game" is from 1520s; business sense is 1837, originally slang. Meaning "an amount" is from 1560s. New Deal is from F.D. Roosevelt speech of July 1932. Big deal is 1928; ironic use first recorded 1951 in "Catcher in the Rye." To deal with "handle" is attested from mid-15c. Deal breaker is attested by 1975.
"plank or board of pine," c.1400, from Low Ger. (cf. M.L.G. dele), from P.Gmc. *theljon. An O.E. derivative was þelu "hewn wood, board, flooring."
town, Dover district, administrative and historic county of Kent, England, on the English Channel. The town has a natural roadstead harbour, the Downs, enclosed by the North and South Forelands and the perilous Goodwin Sands.
Learn more about Deal with a free trial on Britannica.com