treat

[treet]

verb (used with object)

1. to act or behave toward (a person) in some specified way.

   to treat someone with respect.

2. to consider or regard in a specified way, and deal with accordingly.

   to treat a matter as unimportant.

3. to deal with (a disease, patient, etc.) in order to relieve or cure.

4. to deal with in speech or writing; discuss.

5. to deal with, develop, or represent artistically, especially in some specified manner or style.

   to treat a theme realistically.

6. to subject to some agent or action in order to bring about a particular result.

   to treat a substance with an acid.

7. to entertain; give hospitality to.

   He treats diplomats in the lavish surroundings of his country estate.

8. to provide food, entertainment, gifts, etc., at one's own expense.

   Let me treat you to dinner.

verb (used without object)

1. to deal with a subject in speech or writing; discourse.

   a work that treats of the caste system in India.

2. to give, or bear the expense of, a treat.

   Is it my turn to treat?

3. to carry on negotiations with a view to a settlement; discuss terms of settlement; negotiate.

noun

1. entertainment, food, drink, etc., given by way of compliment or as an expression of friendly regard.

2. anything that affords particular pleasure or enjoyment.

3. the act of treating.

4. one's turn to treat.

treat

/ triːt /

noun

1. a celebration, entertainment, gift, or feast given for or to someone and paid for by another

2. any delightful surprise or specially pleasant occasion

3. the act of treating

verb

1. (tr) to deal with or regard in a certain manner

   she treats school as a joke

2. (tr) to apply treatment to

   to treat a patient for malaria

3. (tr) to subject to a process or to the application of a substance

   to treat photographic film with developer

4. (tr; often foll by to) to provide (someone) (with) as a treat

   he treated the children to a trip to the zoo

5. formal,  to deal (with), as in writing or speaking

6. formal,  (intr) to discuss settlement; negotiate

Other Word Forms

• treatable adjective
• treater noun
• nontreated adjective
• overtreat verb
• self-treated adjective
• untreated adjective
• well-treated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of treat¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English verb treten, from Old French tretier, traitier, from Latin tractāre “to drag, handle, treat,” frequentative of trahere “to drag”; tract ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of treat¹

C13: from Old French tretier , from Latin tractāre to manage, from trahere to drag

Idioms and Phrases

• Dutch treat
• trick or treat

Example Sentences

Every season of that show features a must-try culinary treat or five for the foodies in its audience.

Read more on Salon

“That’s crazy,” Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, told AP, calling the arrangement akin to “treating the payment of our uniformed services as if someone’s picking up your bar tab.”

Read more on Salon

This is a president, after all, who seems to dream of treating his enemies, including American cities, like drug boats.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The designation allows him to treat the victims as enemy combatants in a war that does not exist but that he increasingly seems to want to incite.

Read more on Salon

The royal family is venerated in Thailand, treated by many as semi-divine figures and lavished with glowing media coverage and gold-adorned portraits hanging in public spaces and private homes nationwide.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• conduct 
• consider 
• deal with 
• employ 
• evaluate 
• handle 
• hold 
• look upon www.thesaurus.com
• manage 
• play 
• regard 
• respect 
• serve 
• take 
• use