1. (

• treat ,
• handle ,
• do_by

) interact in a certain way; "Do right by her"; "Treat him with caution, please"; "Handle the press reporters gently" ;

2. (

• process ,
• treat ,

) subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition; "process cheese"; "process hair"; "treat the water so it can be drunk"; "treat the lawn with chemicals"; "treat an oil spill" ;

3. (

• treat ,
• care_for

) provide treatment for; "The doctor treated my broken leg"; "The nurses cared for the bomb victims"; "The patient must be treated right away or she will die"; "Treat the infection with antibiotics" ;

4. (

• cover ,
• treat ,
• handle ,
• plow ,
• deal ,
• address ,

) act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression; "This book deals with incest"; "The course covered all of Western Civilization"; "The new book treats the history of China" ;

5. (

• treat

) 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" ;

6. (

• regale ,
• treat

) provide with choice or abundant food or drink; "Don't worry about the expensive wine;

7. (

• treat ,

) engage in negotiations in order to reach an agreement; "they had to treat with the King" ;

8. (

• treat

) regard or consider in a specific way; "I treated his advances as a joke" ;