Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DEAL, v.t. [pret. and pp. dealt, pron. delt. Sax. dælan, bedælan, gedælan; Goth. dailyan; Sw. dela; Dan. deeler; G. theilen; D. deelen; bedeelen; Russ. delyu; W. dydoli, to separate; dy and tawl, separation, a throwing off, tawlu, to throw off, to separate; Ir. and Gael. dailim, to give; dail, a part, Eng. dole; Heb. and Ch. בדל to separate or divide; Ar. بَدَلَ‎‎ badala, to exchange, or give in exchange; بَذَلَ badhala, to give, to yield. Qu. W. gozoli, to endow. There is a remarkable coincidence between the Shemitic word and the Sax. and Dutch, bedælan, bedeelen. The Welsh tawlu gives the true original sense.]

1. To divide; to part; to separate: hence, to divide in portions; to distribute; often followed by out. Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry. – Is. lviii. And Rome deals out her blessings and her gold. – Tickel.
2. To scatter; to throw about; as, to deal out feathered deaths. – Dryden.
3. To throw out in succession; to give one after another; as, to deal out blows.
4. To distribute the cards of a pack to the players.