deck

[ dek ]
See synonyms for: deckdeckeddecking on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. Nautical.

    • a floorlike surface wholly or partially occupying one level of a hull, superstructure, or deckhouse, generally cambered, and often serving as a member for strengthening the structure of a vessel.

    • the space between such a surface and the next such surface above: Our stateroom was on B deck.

  2. any open platform suggesting an exposed deck of a ship.

  1. an open, unroofed porch or platform extending from a house or other building.: Compare sun deck.

  2. any level, tier, or vertical section, as of a structure or machine.

  3. a flat or nearly flat watertight surface, as at the top of a French roof.

  4. a floor or roof surface composed of decking units.

  5. Meteorology. cloud deck. See cloud layer.

  6. Slang. a small packet of a narcotic, especially heroin.

  7. a pack of playing cards.

  8. Printing. bank3 (def. 8).

  9. Also called rear deck. the cover of a space behind the backseat of an automobile or the space itself.

  10. 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.

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

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 church was decked with holly for the holiday season.

  2. to furnish with a deck.

  1. Informal. to knock down; floor: The champion decked the challenger in the first round.

Idioms about deck

  1. clear the decks,

    • to prepare for combat, as by removing all unnecessary gear.

    • to prepare for some activity or work, as by getting rid of hindrances.

  2. hit the deck, Slang.

    • Nautical. to rise from bed.

    • to fall, drop, or be knocked to the ground or floor.

  1. on deck,

    • Baseball. next at bat; waiting one's turn to bat.

    • Informal. next in line; coming up; scheduled.

    • Informal. prepared to act or work; ready.

  2. 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.

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

Origin of deck

1
1425–75; (noun) late Middle English dekke material for covering <Middle Dutch dec covering, roof; (v.) <Dutch dekken to cover; cognate with German decken;cf. thatch

Other words for deck

Other words from deck

  • un·decked, adjective

Words Nearby deck

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use deck in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for deck

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

    • the horizontal platform that supports the turntable and pick-up of a record player

  1. mainly US a pack of playing cards

  2. Also called: pack computing obsolete a collection of punched cards relevant to a particular program

  3. a raised wooden platform built in a garden to provide a seating area

  4. clear the decks informal to prepare for action, as by removing obstacles from a field of activity or combat

  5. hit the deck informal

    • to fall to the floor or ground, esp in order to avoid injury

    • to prepare for action

    • to get out of bed

verb(tr)
  1. (often foll by out) to dress or decorate

  2. to build a deck on (a vessel)

  1. slang to knock (a person) to the floor or ground

Origin of deck

1
C15: from Middle Dutch dec a covering; related to thatch

Derived forms of deck

  • decker, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with deck

deck

In addition to the idiom beginning with deck

  • deck out

also see:

  • clear the decks
  • hit the deck
  • on deck

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.