deck

noun

\ ˈdek

plural decks

Definition of deck

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a platform in a ship serving usually as a structural element and forming the floor for its compartments

2 : something resembling the deck of a ship: such as

a : a story or tier of a building (such as a sports stadium) the upper deck

b : the roadway of a bridge

c : a flat floored roofless area adjoining a house

d : the lid of the compartment at the rear of the body of an automobile also : the compartment

e : a layer of clouds

3a : a pack of playing cards

b : a packet of narcotics

4 : tape deck

5 : a collection of visual or photographic slides presented usually one after another as a slideshow Pompliano was on the job for a mere three weeks in 2015, but in that time he prepared a PowerPoint deck laying out what he believed were the key inaccuracies in the company's numbers.— Gene Maddaus Accompanying a talk with images is standard professional practice, but a poorly organized or dense slide deck can spoil a presentation.— Jeff Link

on deck

1 : ready for duty

2 : next in line : next in turn

deck

verb

decked; decking; decks

Definition of deck (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 obsolete : cover

2a : to clothe in a striking or elegant manner : array decked out in furs

b : decorate deck the halls with boughs of holly — English carol

c : to portray or present with embellishments

3 [ ¹deck ] : to furnish with or as if with a deck

4 [ ¹deck ] : to knock down forcibly : floor decked him with one punch

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about deck

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for deck

Verb

adorn, decorate, ornament, embellish, beautify, deck, garnish mean to enhance the appearance of something by adding something unessential. adorn implies an enhancing by something beautiful in itself. a diamond necklace adorned her neck decorate suggests relieving plainness or monotony by adding beauty of color or design. decorate a birthday cake ornament and embellish imply the adding of something extraneous, ornament stressing the heightening or setting off of the original a white house ornamented with green shutters , embellish often stressing the adding of superfluous or adventitious ornament. embellish a page with floral borders beautify adds to embellish a suggestion of counterbalancing plainness or ugliness. will beautify the grounds with flower beds deck implies the addition of something that contributes to gaiety, splendor, or showiness. a house all decked out for Christmas garnish suggests decorating with a small final touch and is used especially in referring to the serving of food. an entrée garnished with parsley

Examples of deck in a Sentence

Noun

We stood on the deck and watched dolphins swim near the ship. A number of passengers had come on deck. a seat on the streetcar's top deck a cabin on B deck We sat in the lower deck. We ate out on the deck.

Verb

We spent hours decking the chapel with flowers before the wedding. He decked him with one punch.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

All units come with a balcony and there is a 600-square-foot open air deck on the eighth floor with views out to the San Diego Bay. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Little Italy micro-unit apartments open with cheaper than average rent," 17 Sep. 2019 Their enclosures are located on a trail that continues onto a wetland observation deck overlooking water-treatment ponds that attract storks, cormorants and anhingas. — Bonnie Gross, sun-sentinel.com, "Where the wildlife are: South Florida sanctuaries that rehab animals worth a visit," 16 Sep. 2019 The bridge, which was built in 1975, has a deck that’s in poor condition. — John Benson, cleveland.com, "Construction continues in Fairview Park with second phase of Mastick Road repaving project," 16 Sep. 2019 The second and third levels appeared to have pancaked onto a first-floor deck. — Fox News, "At least 22 people injured after three-story deck collapse in New Jersey," 15 Sep. 2019 The large entertainer’s yard has mature citrus trees, seasonal grapevines and a large deck. — Daily Pilot, "Political Landscape: Ex-Rep. Dana Rohrabacher sells Costa Mesa home," 12 Sep. 2019 Several games also appear in this section, because a deck of cards is akin to a book that can be shuffled. — BostonGlobe.com, "“A book is a sequence of spaces.," 12 Sep. 2019 The Cameraman When Reddit user sborado was young, a neighbor built a deck that crossed into their yard. — Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, "These Neighbor Horror Stories Will Make You Cringe (and Then Hug Your Neighbor)," 11 Sep. 2019 There’s also a viewing deck on the second floor with a view of the sea. — Selena Barrientos, House Beautiful, "This Bluestone House in Australia Is an Unexpected Find in a Sea of Listings," 11 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Twitter user @fadisborn then ran with the meme by creating a series of videos featuring SpongeBob in a variety of locations decked out in some sort of stereotypical garb from each place. — Megan Mccluskey, Time, "Say Goodbye to the Season With the Best Memes of Summer From Hot Girl Summer to #ChickenWars," 30 Aug. 2019 The leonine vocalist, decked in dapper black and gold, swung between rapping, singing and bandleading, climbing atop the drum kit at big moments. — Los Angeles Times, "Review: Burna Boy celebrates L.A.'s African diaspora at star-making Wiltern show," 30 Aug. 2019 The final scene is another nursery, decked out in pink. — Amy Haneline, USA TODAY, "Michael Bublé video about kids growing up has parents in tears: 'I love you forever now'," 22 Aug. 2019 Millions of Americans traded up to bigger and more sophisticated vehicles decked out in leather and outfitted with gee-whiz electronics and safety features. — New York Times, "‘We’re Full,’ Car Dealers Say as Auto Sales Slow After a Long Boom," 23 July 2019 One protester, decked in the day’s unofficial uniform of a yellow construction helmet, black clothes, and face mask, dramatically ripped apart a copy of the city’s constitution. — Suzanne Sataline, The Christian Science Monitor, "Hong Kong protests: Is anyone in charge?," 9 July 2019 Magic also went on to share an oh-so-’90s photo of them, decked out in FUBU standing in front of the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo. — Jasmine Grant, Essence, "Magic Johnson Says Marrying His Wife Cookie Was 'One Of The Best Decisions I've Ever Made'," 16 Sep. 2019 That doesn’t keep her from getting decked out in jeweled necklaces and dangling earrings to set off her thick shock of white hair and belting out songs with gusto and even maniacal laughs. — Hector Saldana, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio’s Las Tesoros to receive National Heritage Fellowships in D.C.," 11 Sep. 2019 Three runs were enough to allow Bumgarner to exit with a lead as the Giants ace completed another impressive start in front of fans decked out in orange and black. — Kerry Crowley, The Mercury News, "Bumgarner remains elite at home, Yastrzemski matches a Cepeda feat in Giants win," 30 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deck.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for deck

Noun

Middle English dekke covering of a ship, from Middle Dutch *dec covering, probably from Middle Low German vordeck, from vordecken to cover, from vor- for- + decken to cover; akin to Old High German decchen to cover — more at thatch

Verb

Dutch dekken to cover; akin to Old High German decchen

Keep scrolling for more