Verb: treat treet
- Interact with or behave towards someone in a particular way
"Treat him with caution, please";
- handle, do by [Brit]
- Subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition
"treat the water so it can be drunk"; "treat an oil spill";
- process
- Provide treatment for
"The doctor treated my broken leg"; "The patient must be treated right away or she will die"; "Treat the infection with antibiotics";
- care for
- Act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
"The new book treats the history of China";
- cover, handle, plow [N. Amer], deal, address, plough [Brit, Cdn]
- Regard or consider in a specific way
"I treated his advances as a joke"
- Engage in negotiations in order to reach an agreement
"they had to treat with the King"
- Provide with a gift or entertainment
"Grandmother always treated us to the circus"; "I like to treat myself to a day at a spa when I am depressed"
- Provide with choice or abundant food or drink
"Don't worry about the expensive wine — I'm treating"; "She treated her houseguests with good food every night";
- regale
- An occurrence that causes special pleasure or delight
"Watching the sunset over the ocean was a real treat for the landlocked visitors"
- Something considered choice to eat
"The chef prepared a selection of treats for the reception";
- dainty, delicacy, goody, kickshaw [archaic]
- Something that is desired or appreciated but costs more than one would usually spend
"The spa day was a treat she allowed herself once a year";
- extravagance, indulgence
Derived forms: treating, treated, treats
Type of: affect, aliment [archaic], bear on, bear upon, broach, cater, gift, give, happening, impact, initiate, interact, natural event, negotiate, nourishment, nutriment, nutrition, occurrence, occurrent, present, provide, put up, react, reply, respond, supply, sustenance, talk terms, victuals, vittles [archaic]
Encyclopedia: Treat, Lawrence