Definition of "deal"

There is a vast deal of difference in memories, as well as in every thing else, and therefore you should make allowance for your cousin, and pity her deficiency.

1814 July, [Jane Austen], chapter II, in Mansfield Park: […], volume I, London: […] T[homas] Egerton, […], page 35

There is a deal of obscurity concerning the identity of the species thus multitudinously baptized.

1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 32, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley

“They know our boats will stand up to their work,” said Willison, “and that counts for a good deal. A low estimate from us doesn't mean scamped work, but just that we want to keep the yard busy over a slack time.”

1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 3, in Well Tackled!‎

Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good deal in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth.

2013 June 7, David Simpson, “Fantasy of navigation”, in The Guardian Weekly‎, volume 188, number 26, page 36

Rome deals out her blessings and her gold.

a. 1740, Thomas Tickell, “An Epistle from a lady in England to a gentleman at Avignon”, in Charles Churchil, editor, The Poetical Works of Churchill, Parnell, and Tickell: With a Life of Each, published 1880, page 51

"Away, proud woman!" said the Lady; "who ever knew so well as thou to deal the deepest wounds under the pretence of kindness and courtesy?"

1820, [Walter Scott], chapter 30, in The Abbot. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne & Co.] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, […]

Norwich returned to second in the Championship with victory over Nottingham Forest, whose promotion hopes were dealt another blow.

2011 April 15, Saj Chowdhury, “Norwich 2 - 1 Nott'm Forest”, in BBC Sport‎

This is a heavy-handed weapon attack that can be made with a two-handed weapon, that will deal damage equal to 4 times your size category

2009, Jake Conner, Maverick, Strategy RPG: Core Rulebook, page 99

Mr. Brownlow contrived to state his case; observing that, in the surprise of the moment, he had run after the boy because he saw him running away; and expressing his hope that, if the magistrate should believe him, although not actually the thief, to be connected with thieves; he would deal as leniently with him as justice would allow.

1838, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], chapter 11, in Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy’s Progress. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I, II, or III), London: Richard Bentley, […]

When the spice flow stops, all eyes will turn to Arrakis. The Baron and the Emperor himself will be forced to deal with us.

1984, 1:45:55 from the start, in Dune‎ (Science Fiction), spoken by Paul Atreides

In Deheubarth that now South-wales is hight, / What time king Ryence raign'd, and dealed right [...].

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie

Wel said syr Uwayne go on your waye, and lete me dele.(please add an English translation of this quotation)

1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book IV, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889,

Science, it cannot be too often repeated, deals with tangible phenomena.

1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 14]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […]

Then there was the sound of a struggle, and I knew that the attendants were dealing with him.

1897, Bram Stoker, chapter 19, in Dracula, New York, N.Y.: Modern Library

The deal, which overtakes the £50m paid to Liverpool by Chelsea for Fernando Torres in January 2011 as the highest paid by a British club, takes United’s summer spend to £130.7m, following the £27m spent on Luke Shaw, the £28m for Ander Herrera and £16m for Marcos Rojo.

2014 August 26, Jamie Jackson, “Ángel di María says Manchester United were the ‘only club’ after Real”, in The Guardian

You also have to look at the kind of mortgage deals available to you and whether you will be able to trade up to the kind of property you are looking for.

2009, The Guardian, Virginia Wallis, 22 Jul 2009

California lawmakers, their state broke and its credit rating shot, finally sealed the deal with the governor Monday night on a plan to close a $26 billion budget gap.

2009 July 20, Jennifer Steinhauer, New York Times

I've never killed anybody before. I don't see what's the big deal.

1996, Graham Yost, Broken Arrow, spoken by Major Vic "Deak" Deakins (John Travolta)

Some Houses were […] entirely lock’d up, the Doors padlockt, the Windows and Doors having Deal Boards nail’d over them,

1722, Daniel Defoe, A Journal of the Plague Year, London: E. Nutt et al., p. 86

A brisk fire burned in the grate, there were three comfortable chairs, and a deal table with a water carafe, a bucket of coals, and a few other amenities.

1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019

It shall not be lawful for any person to land any timber, planks or board, deals, staves, tar, pitch, turpentine, rozin or other the commodities aforesaid, on any part of the present quays within the city of Bristol, from any vessel coming into the said port...

1819, Charles Pope, Practical abridgement of the laws of customs and excise, 5th edition, page CCXLIII

Swedish deals from ports in the Baltic

1840, John Ramsey McCulloch, “Docks on the Thames (London)”, in A Dictionary Practical, Theoretical and Historical of Commerce and Commercial Navigation, volume 1, Thomas Wardle, page 590

1 deal (US) = 12 ft x 11 in. x 3/2 in. (E)

2003, François Cardarelli, Encyclopaedia of Scientific Units, Weights, and Measures, page 52

Deal table in the middle, plain chairs all round the walls, on one end a large shining map, marked with all the colours of a rainbow.

1899 (please specify the page), Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], part

She glanced round the kitchen. It was small and curious to her, with its glittering kissing-bunch, its evergreens behind the pictures, its wooden chairs and little deal table.

1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter 6, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […]

Through the open door you see a red-tiled floor, a large wooden bed, and on a deal table a ewer and a basin.

1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 47”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […]