deck

[ dek ]

noun

1. Nautical.
   1. (on a ship) a floorlike surface occupying one level of the hull, superstructure, or deckhouse and often serving to strengthen the structure of the vessel.
   2. the space between such a surface and the next such surface above:

      Our stateroom was on B deck.

2. an open, unroofed porch or platform extending from a house or other building. Compare sun deck.
3. any open platform suggesting an exposed deck of a ship.
4. a level, tier, or section of a structure, such as of a stadium or vehicle:

   We got excellent seats for the game in the lower deck.

   We took the elevator to the observation deck.

   I like sitting on the upper deck in those double-decker buses.

5. flight deck ( def ).
6. a pack of playing cards.
7. Digital Technology. a set of slides with text, pictures, or diagrams for presentation:

   I’ve put together a slide deck for the new hires, showing what each department does.

   We asked the consultant to put together a branding deck for the business.

8. a flat or nearly flat watertight surface, such as at the top of a mansard roof.
9. Meteorology. Also called cloud deck. a continuous or fragmented distribution of clouds all sharing the same cloud base; cloud layer.
10. Slang. a small packet of a narcotic, especially heroin.
11. Printing. bank ³( def 8 ).
12. Also called rear deck. the cover of a space behind the backseat of an automobile or the space itself.
13. Library Science. a level of book shelving and associated facilities in the stacks of a library, as one of a series of floors or tiers.
14. cutter deck ( def ).
15. a tape deck or cassette deck.

verb (used with object)

1. to clothe or attire (people) or array (rooms, houses, etc.) in something ornamental or decorative (often followed by out ):

   We were all decked out in our Sunday best.

   The bakery window was decked with holly for the holiday season.

   Synonyms: dress, embellish, adorn, bedizen, trim, garnish, bedeck

2. Informal. to knock down; floor:

   The champion decked the challenger in the first round.

3. to furnish with a deck.

adjective

1. Civil Engineering. (of a bridge truss) having a deck or floor upon or above the structure. Compare through ( def 22 ).

deck

/ dɛk /

noun

1. nautical any of various platforms built into a vessel

   a promenade deck

   the poop deck

2. a similar floor or platform, as in a bus
3. 1. the horizontal platform that supports the turntable and pick-up of a record player
   2. See tape deck
4. a pack of playing cards
5. obsolete.
   Also calledpack computing a collection of punched cards relevant to a particular program
6. a raised wooden platform built in a garden to provide a seating area
7. clear the decks informal.
   to prepare for action, as by removing obstacles from a field of activity or combat
8. hit the deck informal.
   1. to fall to the floor or ground, esp in order to avoid injury
   2. to prepare for action
   3. to get out of bed

verb

1. often foll by out to dress or decorate
2. to build a deck on (a vessel)
3. slang.
   to knock (a person) to the floor or ground

Derived Forms

• ˈdecker, noun

Other Words From

• un·decked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of deck¹

First recorded in 1425–75; (for the noun) late Middle English dekke “material for covering,” from Middle Dutch dec “covering, roof”; (for the verb) from Dutch dekken “to cover”; cognate with German decken; thatch

Word History and Origins

Origin of deck¹

C15: from Middle Dutch dec a covering; related to thatch

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. clear the decks,
   1. to prepare for combat, as by removing all unnecessary gear.
   2. to prepare for some activity or work, as by getting rid of hindrances.
2. hit the deck, Slang.
   1. Nautical. to rise from bed.
   2. to fall, drop, or be knocked to the ground or floor.
3. on deck,
   1. Baseball. next at bat; waiting one's turn to bat.
   2. Informal. next in line; coming up; scheduled.
   3. Informal. prepared to act or work; ready.
4. play with / have a full deck, Slang. to be sane, rational, or reasonably intelligent:

   Whoever dreamed up this scheme wasn't playing with a full deck.

5. stack the deck. stack ( def 25 ).

More idioms and phrases containing deck

In addition to the idiom beginning with deck , also see clear the decks ; hit the deck ; on deck .

Example Sentences

“Deck the Halls” was written back in the 16th century, when the English language was very different.

From The Daily Beast

Obama has latched on to the failure of the embargo to topple the Castros as justification to shuffle the deck.

From The Daily Beast

Deck your halls instead with boughs of holly, shouting “Merry Christmas” (or “Happy Hanukkah”) well into the night.

From The Daily Beast

Anyone willing to threaten war over a joke is clearly not playing with a full deck.

From The Daily Beast

For starters, from a purely practical, all-hands-on-deck position, I say if you can do the job, you should keep the job.

From The Daily Beast

It ended on a complaint that she was 'tired rather and spending my time at full length on a deck-chair in the garden.'

From Project Gutenberg

A few moments afterward he was seen dragging his own trunk ashore, while Mr. Hitchcock finished his story on the boiler deck.

From Project Gutenberg

Fancy that enormous shell dropping suddenly out of the blue on to a ship's deck swarming with troops!

From Project Gutenberg

Maybe it didn't feel good to be on the hurricane deck of a good horse once more!

From Project Gutenberg

I'd much rather see what is going on than be cooped up below, and after lunch I told Bob I was going up on deck.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• adorn
• beautify
• bedeck
• clothe
• decorate
• embellish
• festoon