hit the deck

[dek] Origin

deck

[dek]
noun
1.
Nautical.
a.
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.
b.
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.
3.
an open, unroofed porch or platform extending from a house or other building. Compare sun deck.
4.
any level, tier, or vertical section, as of a structure or machine.
5.
flight deck (def. 2).
EXPAND
6.
a flat or nearly flat watertight surface, as at the top of a French roof.
7.
a floor or roof surface composed of decking units.
8.
Meteorology. cloud deck. See cloud layer.
9.
Slang. a small packet of a narcotic, especially heroin.
10.
a pack of playing cards.
11.
Printing. bank3 (def. 8).
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.
15.
a cassette deck or tape deck.
COLLAPSE
adjective
16.
Civil Engineering. (of a bridge truss) having a deck or floor upon or above the structure. Compare through (def. 22).

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Hit the deck is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
verb (used with object)
17.
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.
18.
to furnish with a deck.
19.
Informal. to knock down; floor: The champion decked the challenger in the first round.
20.
clear the decks,
a.
to prepare for combat, as by removing all unnecessary gear.
b.
to prepare for some activity or work, as by getting rid of hindrances.
21.
hit the deck, Slang.
a.
Nautical. to rise from bed.
b.
to fall, drop, or be knocked to the ground or floor.
22.
on deck,
a.
Baseball. next at bat; waiting one's turn to bat.
b.
Informal. next in line; coming up; scheduled.
c.
Informal. prepared to act or work; ready.
23.
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.
24.
stack the deck. stack (def. 24).

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

un·decked, adjective


17. bedeck, garnish, trim, bedizen, adorn, embellish; dress.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To hit the deck
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

deck
"adorn" (as in deck the halls), c.1500, from M.Du. dekken "to cover," from the same P.Gmc. root as deck (n.). Replaced O.E. þeccan.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary

deck definition


  1. tv.
    to knock someone to the ground. : Fred decked Bob with one blow.
  2. n.
    a pack of cigarettes. : Can you toss me a deck of fags, please?
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source

hit the deck definition


  1. tv.
    to get out of bed. : Come on, hit the deck! It's morning.
  2. tv.
    to fall down; to drop down. : I hit the deck the minute I heard the shots.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

hit the deck

Also, hit the dirt. Fall to the ground, usually for protection. For example, As the planes approached, we hit the deck, or We heard shooting and hit the dirt. In the early 1900s the first expression was nautical slang for "jump out of bed," or "wake up," and somewhat later, "get going." The current meaning dates from the 1920s.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
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