deck

American  

[dek] / dɛk /

noun

• decks
  plural

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.

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.

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. Also called cloud deck. Meteorology. 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.

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.

15. a tape deck or cassette deck.

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verb (used with object)

• decks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• decked,
  past participle,  past
• decking
  present participle

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

   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.

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. 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.

3. stack the deck. stack.

4. play with / have a full deck, to be sane, rational, or reasonably intelligent.

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

5. hit the deck,

   1. Nautical. to rise from bed.

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

deck British  

/ 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. Also called: pack. obsolete 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. informal to prepare for action, as by removing obstacles from a field of activity or combat

8. 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

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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

deck More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing deck

• clear the decks
• hit the deck
• on deck

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Usage

What is a basic definition of deck? The word deck is used as a noun to refer to a floorlike surface on a ship, an unroofed porch attached to a house, or a pack of playing cards. Deck has many other senses as a noun, verb, and adjective. On a ship, a deck is a surface that acts as a floor that the crew is able to walk on. A ship can have more than one deck depending on size, so terms like upper deck, main deck, and lower deck may be used to tell them apart.

• Real-life examples: The RMS Titanic was a large ship that had 10 decks. A pirate captain may order a crewman to swab, that is, mop, the deck.
• Used in a sentence: I walked with the ship’s captain across the Promenade deck. 

When referring to a house, a deck is a roofless porch or platform that extends from the house itself. A deck can have many functions, such as providing a surface for outdoor furniture or a barbeque grill.

• Real-life examples: A house built in a place with frequent sunny weather might have a sun deck that is a good spot for sunbathing or relaxing. A home with a swimming pool may have a pool deck that connects to the house so people can easily walk to the pool.
• Used in a sentence: We sat on the deck and watched the fireworks.

A pack of playing cards is also called a deck. In the United States, a standard set of playing cards has 52 cards in four suits—spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs.

• Real-life examples: Poker and blackjack are games that require a deck of cards. A fortune teller often uses a deck of tarot cards to tell fortunes.
• Used in a sentence: The dealer drew the ace of diamonds from the deck.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• decker
  noun
• undecked
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• decks
  plural

Participles

• decking
  present
• decked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• deck
  simple
• decks
  simple
• have decked
  perfect
• has decked
  perfect
• am decking
  progressive
• are decking
  progressive
• is decking
  progressive
• have been decking
  perfect progressive
• has been decking
  perfect progressive

Past

• decked
  simple
• had decked
  perfect
• was decking
  progressive
• were decking
  progressive
• had been decking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will deck
  simple
• will have decked
  perfect
• will be decking
  progressive
• will have been decking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of deck

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; cf. thatch

Explanation

A deck is a platform or a section of floor on a ship. If you're on a cruise with your family, you might tell your brother to meet you on the upper deck after lunch to play shuffleboard. Most decks are open, without a roof, and positioned high on a ship . Typically, the bridge deck houses the ship's helm and navigational tools. The deck behind your house isn't much different from a ship's deck — it's a flat platform too. Other kinds of decks are a pack of cards, the board part of a skateboard, and the floor: "Hit the deck!" To deck a person is to hit them, but to deck your house is to decorate it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

deck decks decked decking

I listened to that thing over and over again, until I spilled a bottle of soap in my tape deck and ruined it.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

Or, be sure you have a friend on deck who is willing to attend should the other person cancel.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026

On one flight, shortly after takeoff, the cabin crew reported to the flight deck that a passenger had gone into labor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

"Come tomorrow morning it will be all hands on deck to dry up the areas that aren't under the covers," he added.

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

So Isaac and Jacob carry Father up to the deck, and then we recite the Kaddish, the prayer for the dead.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

In one of Smith's best-known images, which will feature in the Tate Britain exhibition, she stands at the DJ decks, surrounded by young clubbers.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

Two 50-foot-long passenger decks were stacked inside the hull.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Floor-to-ceiling glass walls and sliding doors seamlessly connect indoor and outdoor spaces, such as ocean-facing decks and a rare rooftop space.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

A few months after Mark Walter became the chairman and majority owner of the Dodgers, he was told a fan in one of Dodger Stadium’s upper decks was upset about a mix-up with his tickets.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

She removed the makeshift bandages and the splint, and Yvaine practiced hobbling about the decks from bow to stern, holding on to the rails.

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman

Photos taken at Kris’ annual holiday parties often featured the sweeping staircases, which were decked out in extravagant decorations, with multiple Christmas trees scattered throughout the grand entryway.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

The Lincoln is now heading home after it decked in Thailand earlier this month.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

He also famously made his Met Gala debut decked in majestic Punjabi attire.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

Those still open tend to have generators, menus priced in dollars and a clientele of well-connected Cubans, decked in salmon shirts and tassel loafers.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

We walked beneath a huge billboard with a larger-than-life picture of a woman decked in gold jewelry—not just bangles and necklaces and earrings and nose rings, but even golden hair clips.

From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman

“Step outside to a private backyard oasis featuring a sparkling pool and upgraded decking, perfect for entertaining or relaxing Texas-style,” the listing notes.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 18, 2026

Laminated teak is an engineered solution in which plantation-grown teak, that would normally be rejected for high-end decking, is thinly sliced and glued together to form a strong, stable material.

From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026

Hughes, with the help of her interior designer sister, Nina Hughes, spent hours that day decking the halls with carnival lights and ribbons galore.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 30, 2025

Pfeiffer’s Texan matriarch is a delight to watch as she flits about her house, decking the halls with warm, multicolored lights and seasonal throw pillows.

From Salon ● Dec. 3, 2025

As Crean crawled out of his sleeping bag and began wriggling out from under the decking, his shoulder knocked against a pin that held the mast clamp in place.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Related Words

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