deals

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of deal.

   Negotiators closed three major deals before the quarter ended.

   Shoppers hunted for the best deals during the holiday sale.

   Note

   The noun forms its plural regularly, and the spelling is shared: the same letters also spell the present-tense verb, so a headline about deals can be read either way until the sentence settles it. The living uses are mostly transactions, bargains and a dealer's turns at cards. The oldest meaning, a portion or share, is now obsolete.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of deal.

   The dealer deals each player two cards face down.

   Our purchasing team deals directly with overseas suppliers.

   Note

   The -s form follows a singular third-person subject: she deals, the bank deals. What comes after it changes the meaning. With a direct object it means to distribute or inflict, as in dealing cards or dealing a blow. With with, it means taking action toward someone or something. At the card table it can stand alone, with no object at all: whoever deals next.

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