Deck Named a Covering Before It Named a Floor
A deck is a floor on a ship. The Dutch word meant a roof, which is what a deck is from below.
A deck is a floor on a ship, and by extension any platform or a pack of cards. Middle Dutch *dec* meant a roof or covering, which is exactly what a deck is when seen from the space below it. The word came into English as a ship's covering and only later became the floor you stand on. *To deck* meaning to decorate is the same root — as in *deck the halls* — and *to deck someone* meaning to knock them down is American slang from putting them on the deck.
- A ship's floor. *On deck.*
- A pack of cards. *A deck of cards.*
- A raised platform. *A garden deck.*
- To decorate. *Deck the halls.*
- Middle Dutch — *dec*, a roof. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | deck | A deck. |
| Plural | decks | Decks. |
| Verb | deck | Decked. |
| Compound | quarterdeck | The quarterdeck. |
| Middle Dutch | dec | A roof. |
- All hands on deck.Ship.
- Shuffle the deck.Cards.
- The halls were decked.Decoration.
Deck idioms
- All hands on deck — everyone is needed
- Clear the decks — prepare for action, from readying a warship
- Stack the deck — arrange things unfairly, from cards
- Hit the deck — drop flat, or get out of bed
- On deck — next in turn, from baseball
Middle Dutch *dec*, a roof or covering, related to English *thatch*.
Why does deck mean both a floor and a covering?
The Dutch word meant a roof. A ship's deck is a covering from below and a floor from above.
Is deck the halls the same word?
Yes. To deck means to cover or adorn, from the same root as the covering sense.