to get (something desired), esp. as a result of one's efforts: to gain possession of an object; to gain permission to enter a country.
2.
to acquire as an increase or addition: to gain weight; to gain speed.
3.
to obtain as a profit: He gained ten dollars by this deal.
4.
to win; get in competition: to gain the prize.
5.
to win (someone) to one's own side or point of view; persuade (sometimes fol. by over): to gain supporters.
6.
(of a watch or clock) to run fast by (a specified amount): My watch gains six minutes a day.
7.
to reach, esp. by effort; get to; arrive at: to gain one's destination.
–verb (used without object)
8.
to improve; make progress; advance: to gain in health after an illness.
9.
to get nearer, as in pursuit (usually fol. by on or upon): Our horse was gaining on the favorite at the far turn.
10.
to draw away from or farther ahead of the other contestants in a race, one's pursuers, etc. (usually fol. by on or upon).
11.
(of a watch or clock) to run fast.
–noun
12.
profit or advantage.
13.
an increase or advance.
14.
gains, profits or winnings.
15.
the act of gaining; acquisition.
16.
Electronics.
a.
a measure of the increase in signal amplitude produced by an amplifier, expressed as the ratio of output to input.
b.
the effectiveness of a directional antenna as compared with a standard, nondirectional one.
17.
the volume control of a radio, phonograph, amplifier, etc.
—Idioms
18.
gain ground, to progress or advance, as in value, strength, or achievement: The company's new products are gaining ground in suburban areas.
19.
gain time, to arrange a postponement or delay for a particular purpose, esp. by roundabout means.
[Origin: 1425–75; late ME (n.) < MF, contr. of OF gaaing, n. deriv of gaaignier to till, earn, win < Gmc; cf. OHG weidanōn to hunt, forage for food]
—Related forms
gain·a·ble, adjective
—Synonyms 1. procure. Gain,attain,earn,win imply obtaining a reward or something advantageous. Gain carries the least suggestion of method or of effort expended. Attain emphasizes the reaching of a goal. Earn emphasizes the exertions and labor expended that deserve reward. Win emphasizes attainment in spite of competition or opposition. 7. attain. 13. addition, increment, acquisition.
To come into possession or use of; acquire: gained a small fortune in real estate; gained vital information about the enemy's plans.
To attain in competition or struggle; win: gained a decisive victory; gained control of the company.
To obtain through effort or merit; achieve: gain recognition; gain a hearing for the proposal.
To secure as profit or reward; earn: gain a living; gain extra credits in school.
To manage to achieve an increase of: a movement that gained strength; gained wisdom with age.
To increase by (a specific amount): gained 15 pounds; the market gained 30 points.
To come to; reach: gained the top of the mountain. See Synonyms at reach.
To become fast by (a specified amount of time). Used of a timepiece: My watch gains four minutes a day.
v.
intr.
To increase; grow: gained in experience and maturity; a painting that gained in value.
To become better; improve: gaining in health.
To obtain a profit or advantage; benefit: stood to gain politically by his opponent's blunder.
To close a gap; get closer: The runners in the back gained steadily on the leader.
To increase a lead.
To put on weight: I began to gain when I went off my diet.
To operate or run fast. Used of a timepiece.
n.
Something gained or acquired: territorial gains.
Progress; advancement: The country made economic gains under the new government.
The act of acquiring; attainment.
An increase in amount or degree: a gain in operating income.
Electronics An increase in signal power, voltage, or current by an amplifier, expressed as the ratio of output to input. Also called amplification.
[From Middle English gayne, booty (from Old French gaigne, gain, gain, from gaaignier, to gain, of Germanic origin; see weiə- in Indo-European roots) and Middle English gein, advantage (from Old Norse gegn, ready, and from Old French gain, gain).]
1496 (n.), 1530 (v.), from M.Fr. gain, from O.Fr. gaaigne, from gaaignier "to gain," also "cultivate land," from Frank. *waidanjan "hunt, forage," also "graze, pasture," from P.Gmc. *wartho "hunting ground" (cf. Ger. weide "pasture, pasturage," O.N. veiðr "hunting"), from PIE *wei "to strive after." The original O.Fr. sense enfolded the notions of "profit from agriculture" and "booty, prey."
a quantity that is added; "there was an addition to property taxes this year"; "they recorded the cattle's gain in weight over a period of weeks" [syn: addition]
2.
the advantageous quality of being beneficial [syn: profit]
3.
the amount of increase in signal power or voltage or current expressed as the ratio of output to input [syn: amplification]
4.
the amount by which the revenue of a business exceeds its cost of operating [ant: loss]
verb
1.
obtain; "derive pleasure from one's garden" [syn: derive]
2.
win something through one's efforts; "I acquired a passing knowledge of Chinese"; "Gain an understanding of international finance" [syn: acquire] [ant: lose]
3.
derive a benefit from; "She profited from his vast experience" [syn: profit]
4.
reach a destination, either real or abstract; "We hit Detroit by noon"; "The water reached the doorstep"; "We barely made it to the finish line"; "I have to hit the MAC machine before the weekend starts" [syn: reach]
5.
obtain advantages, such as points, etc.; "The home team was gaining ground"; "After defeating the Knicks, the Blazers pulled ahead of the Lakers in the battle for the number-one playoff berth in the Western Conference" [ant: drop off]
6.
rise in rate or price; "The stock market gained 24 points today" [syn: advance]
7.
increase or develop; "the peace movement gained momentum"; "the car gathers speed"
8.
earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages; "How much do you make a month in your new job?"; "She earns a lot in her new job"; "this merger brought in lots of money"; "He clears $5,000 each month"
9.
increase (one's body weight); "She gained 20 pounds when she stopped exercising" [ant: lose weight]
An increase in the value of an asset or property. A gain is measured as the amount of capital realized from selling a good at a price higher than the original purchase
price.
Investopedia Commentary
When most gains are realized, they are subject to capital-gains tax.
The excess of the amount received as opposed to the amount expended in a transaction. For example, receipt of $4,500 from the sale of an asset with a book value of $3,000
results in a gain of $1,500. Compare loss.
Main Entry: gain Function: noun 1: an increase in value, capital, or amount —compare LOSS
capital gain : a gain realized on the sale or exchange of a capital asset (as a stock or real estate)ca·su·al·ty gain : a gain realized by an insured because property insurance benefits paid for a loss from a casualty or theft are greater than the adjusted value of the insured assetlong–term
capital gain : a capital gain realized on the sale or exchange of an asset held for more than a specified period (as a year)ordinary gain : a gain from the exchange
or sale of an asset that is not capitalshort–term capital gain : a capital gain realized on the sale or exchange of an asset held for less than a specified period (as a
year) that is treated as ordinary income under federal income tax laws 2pluralin the civil law of Louisiana: a class of community property that reflects the
increase in property value contributed by the common skill or labor of the spouses —gainverb
Gain\ (g[=a]n), n. [Cf. W. gan a mortise.] (Arch.) A square or beveled notch cut out of a girder, binding joist, or other timber which supports a floor beam, so as to receive the end of the floor beam.
Gain\ (g[=a]n), n. [OE. gain, gein, ga[yogh]hen, gain, advantage, Icel. gagn; akin to Sw. gagn, Dan. gavn, cf. Goth. gageigan to gain. The word was prob. influenced by F. gain gain, OF. gaain. Cf. Gain, v. t.]1. That which is gained, obtained, or acquired, as increase, profit, advantage, or benefit; -- opposed to loss. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. --Phil. iii. 7. Godliness with contentment is great gain. --1 Tim. vi. 6. Every one shall share in the gains. --Shak. 2. The obtaining or amassing of profit or valuable possessions; acquisition; accumulation. "The lust of gain." --Tennyson.
Gain\ (g[=a]n), n. [OE. gain, gein, ga[yogh]hen, gain, advantage, Icel. gagn; akin to Sw. gagn, Dan. gavn, cf. Goth. gageigan to gain. The word was prob. influenced by F. gain gain, OF. gaain. Cf. Gain, v. t.]1. That which is gained, obtained, or acquired, as increase, profit, advantage, or benefit; -- opposed to loss. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. --Phil. iii. 7. Godliness with contentment is great gain. --1 Tim. vi. 6. Every one shall share in the gains. --Shak. 2. The obtaining or amassing of profit or valuable possessions; acquisition; accumulation. "The lust of gain." --Tennyson.
Gain\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Gained (g[=a]nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Gaining.] [From gain, n. but. prob. influenced by F. gagner to earn, gain, OF. gaaignier to cultivate, OHG. weidin[=o]n, weidinen to pasture, hunt, fr. weida pasturage, G. weide, akin to Icel. vei[eth]r hunting, AS. w[=a][eth]u, cf. L. venari to hunt, E. venison. See Gain, n., profit.]1. To get, as profit or advantage; to obtain or acquire by effort or labor; as, to gain a good living. What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? --Matt. xvi. 26. To gain dominion, or to keep it gained. --Milton. For fame with toil we gain, but lose with ease. --Pope. 2. To come off winner or victor in; to be successful in; to obtain by competition; as, to gain a battle; to gain a case at law; to gain a prize. 3. To draw into any interest or party; to win to one's side; to conciliate. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. --Matt. xviii. 15. To gratify the queen, and gained the court. --Dryden. 4. To reach; to attain to; to arrive at; as, to gain the top of a mountain; to gain a good harbor. Forded Usk and gained the wood. --Tennyson. 5. To get, incur, or receive, as loss, harm, or damage. [Obs. or Ironical] Ye should . . . not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. --Acts xxvii. 21. Gained day, the calendar day gained in sailing eastward around the earth. To gain ground, to make progress; to advance in any undertaking; to prevail; to acquire strength or extent. To gain over, to draw to one's party or interest; to win over. To gain the wind (Naut.), to reach the windward side of another ship. Syn: To obtain; acquire; get; procure; win; earn; attain; achieve. Usage: See Obtain. -- To Gain, Win. Gain implies only that we get something by exertion; win, that we do it in competition with others. A person gains knowledge, or gains a prize, simply by striving for it; he wins a victory, or wins a prize, by taking it in a struggle with others.
Gain\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Gained (g[=a]nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Gaining.] [From gain, n. but. prob. influenced by F. gagner to earn, gain, OF. gaaignier to cultivate, OHG. weidin[=o]n, weidinen to pasture, hunt, fr. weida pasturage, G. weide, akin to Icel. vei[eth]r hunting, AS. w[=a][eth]u, cf. L. venari to hunt, E. venison. See Gain, n., profit.]1. To get, as profit or advantage; to obtain or acquire by effort or labor; as, to gain a good living. What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? --Matt. xvi. 26. To gain dominion, or to keep it gained. --Milton. For fame with toil we gain, but lose with ease. --Pope. 2. To come off winner or victor in; to be successful in; to obtain by competition; as, to gain a battle; to gain a case at law; to gain a prize. 3. To draw into any interest or party; to win to one's side; to conciliate. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. --Matt. xviii. 15. To gratify the queen, and gained the court. --Dryden. 4. To reach; to attain to; to arrive at; as, to gain the top of a mountain; to gain a good harbor. Forded Usk and gained the wood. --Tennyson. 5. To get, incur, or receive, as loss, harm, or damage. [Obs. or Ironical] Ye should . . . not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. --Acts xxvii. 21. Gained day, the calendar day gained in sailing eastward around the earth. To gain ground, to make progress; to advance in any undertaking; to prevail; to acquire strength or extent. To gain over, to draw to one's party or interest; to win over. To gain the wind (Naut.), to reach the windward side of another ship. Syn: To obtain; acquire; get; procure; win; earn; attain; achieve. Usage: See Obtain. -- To Gain, Win. Gain implies only that we get something by exertion; win, that we do it in competition with others. A person gains knowledge, or gains a prize, simply by striving for it; he wins a victory, or wins a prize, by taking it in a struggle with others.
Gain\, v. i. To have or receive advantage or profit; to acquire gain; to grow rich; to advance in interest, health, or happiness; to make progress; as, the sick man gains daily. Thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by extortion. --Ezek. xxii. 12. Gaining twist, in rifled firearms, a twist of the grooves, which increases regularly from the breech to the muzzle. To gain on or upon. (a) To encroach on; as, the ocean gains on the land. (b) To obtain influence with. (c) To win ground upon; to move faster than, as in a race or contest. (d) To get the better of; to have the advantage of. The English have not only gained upon the Venetians in the Levant, but have their cloth in Venice itself. --Addison. My good behavior had so far gained on the emperor, that I began to conceive hopes of liberty. --Swift.
Gain"age\ (?, 48), n. [OF. gaignage pasturage, crop, F. gaignage pasturage. See Gain, v. t.] (O. Eng. Law) (a) The horses, oxen, plows, wains or wagons and implements for carrying on tillage. (b) The profit made by tillage; also, the land itself. --Bouvier.
Loss\, n. [AS. los loss, losing, fr. le['o]san to lose. ?. See Lose, v. t.]1. The act of losing; failure; destruction; privation; as, the loss of property; loss of money by gaming; loss of health or reputation. Assured loss before the match be played. --Shak. 2. The state of losing or having lost; the privation, defect, misfortune, harm, etc., which ensues from losing. Though thou repent, yet I have still the loss. --Shak 3. That which is lost or from which one has parted; waste; -- opposed to gain or increase; as, the loss of liquor by leakage was considerable. 4. The state of being lost or destroyed; especially, the wreck or foundering of a ship or other vessel. 5. Failure to gain or win; as, loss of a race or battle. 6. Failure to use advantageously; as, loss of time. 7. (Mil.) Killed, wounded, and captured persons, or captured property. 8. (Insurance) Destruction or diminution of value, if brought about in a manner provided for in the insurance contract (as destruction by fire or wreck, damage by water or smoke), or the death or injury of an insured person; also, the sum paid or payable therefor; as, the losses of the company this year amount to a million of dollars. To bear a loss, to make a loss good; also, to sustain a loss without sinking under it. To be at a loss, to be in a state of uncertainty. Syn: Privation; detriment; injury; damage.
Ob*tain"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Obtained; p. pr. & vb. n. Obtaining.] [F. obtenir, L. obtinere; ob (see Ob-) + tenere to hold. See Tenable.]1. To hold; to keep; to possess. [Obs.] His mother, then, is mortal, but his Sire He who obtains the monarchy of heaven. --Milton. 2. To get hold of by effort; to gain possession of; to procure; to acquire, in any way. Some pray for riches; riches they obtain. --Dryden. By guileful fair words peace may be obtained. --Shak. It may be that I may obtain children by her. --Gen. xvi. 2. Syn: To attain; gain; procure; acquire; win; earn. Usage: See Attain. -- To Obtain, Get, Gain, Earn, Acquire. The idea of getting is common to all these terms. We may, indeed, with only a slight change of sense, substitute get for either of them; as, to get or to gain a prize; to get or to obtain an employment; to get or to earn a living; to get or to acquire a language. To gain is to get by striving; and as this is often a part of our good fortune, the word gain is peculiarly applicable to whatever comes to us fortuitously. Thus, we gain a victory, we gain a cause, we gain an advantage, etc. To earn is to deserve by labor or service; as, to earn good wages; to earn a triumph. Unfortunately, one does not always get or obtain what he has earned. To obtain implies desire for possession, and some effort directed to the attainment of that which is not immediately within our reach. Whatever we thus seek and get, we obtain, whether by our own exertions or those of others; whether by good or bad means; whether permanently, or only for a time. Thus, a man obtains an employment; he obtains an answer to a letter, etc. To acquire is more limited and specific. We acquire what comes to us gradually in the regular exercise of our abilities, while we obtain what comes in any way, provided we desire it. Thus, we acquire knowledge, property, honor, reputation, etc. What we acquire becomes, to a great extent, permanently our own; as, to acquire a language; to acquire habits of industry, etc.
Point\, n. [F. point, and probably also pointe, L. punctum, puncta, fr. pungere, punctum, to prick. See Pungent, and cf. Puncto, Puncture.]1. That which pricks or pierces; the sharp end of anything, esp. the sharp end of a piercing instrument, as a needle or a pin. 2. An instrument which pricks or pierces, as a sort of needle used by engravers, etchers, lace workers, and others; also, a pointed cutting tool, as a stone cutter's point; -- called also pointer. 3. Anything which tapers to a sharp, well-defined termination. Specifically: A small promontory or cape; a tract of land extending into the water beyond the common shore line. 4. The mark made by the end of a sharp, piercing instrument, as a needle; a prick. 5. An indefinitely small space; a mere spot indicated or supposed. Specifically: (Geom.) That which has neither parts nor magnitude; that which has position, but has neither length, breadth, nor thickness, -- sometimes conceived of as the limit of a line; that by the motion of which a line is conceived to be produced. 6. An indivisible portion of time; a moment; an instant; hence, the verge. When time's first point begun Made he all souls. --Sir J. Davies. 7. A mark of punctuation; a character used to mark the divisions of a composition, or the pauses to be observed in reading, or to point off groups of figures, etc.; a stop, as a comma, a semicolon, and esp. a period; hence, figuratively, an end, or conclusion. And there a point, for ended is my tale. --Chaucer. Commas and points they set exactly right. --Pope. 8. Whatever serves to mark progress, rank, or relative position, or to indicate a transition from one state or position to another, degree; step; stage; hence, position or condition attained; as, a point of elevation, or of depression; the stock fell off five points; he won by tenpoints. "A point of precedence." --Selden. "Creeping on from point to point." --Tennyson. A lord full fat and in good point. --Chaucer. 9. That which arrests attention, or indicates qualities or character; a salient feature; a characteristic; a peculiarity; hence, a particular; an item; a detail; as, the good or bad points of a man, a horse, a book, a story, etc. He told him, point for point, in short and plain. --Chaucer. In point of religion and in point of honor. --Bacon. Shalt thou dispute With Him the points of liberty ? --Milton. 10. Hence, the most prominent or important feature, as of an argument, discourse, etc.; the essential matter; esp., the proposition to be established; as, the point of an anecdote. "Here lies the point." --Shak. They will hardly prove his point. --Arbuthnot. 11. A small matter; a trifle; a least consideration; a punctilio. This fellow doth not stand upon points. --Shak. [He] cared not for God or man a point. --Spenser. 12. (Mus.) A dot or mark used to designate certain tones or time; as: (a) (Anc. Mus.) A dot or mark distinguishing or characterizing certain tones or styles; as, points of perfection, of augmentation, etc.; hence, a note; a tune. "Sound the trumpet -- not a levant, or a flourish, but a point of war." --Sir W. Scott. (b) (Mod. Mus.) A dot placed at the right hand of a note, to raise its value, or prolong its time, by one half, as to make a whole note equal to three half notes, a half note equal to three quarter notes. 13. (Astron.) A fixed conventional place for reference, or zero of reckoning, in the heavens, usually the intersection of two or more great circles of the sphere, and named specifically in each case according to the position intended; as, the equinoctial points; the solstitial points; the nodal points; vertical points, etc. See Equinoctial Nodal. 14. (Her.) One of the several different parts of the escutcheon. See Escutcheon. 15. (Naut.) (a) One of the points of the compass (see Points of the compass, below); also, the difference between two points of the compass; as, to fall off a point. (b) A short piece of cordage used in reefing sails. See Reef point, under Reef. 16. (Anc. Costume) A a string or lace used to tie together certain parts of the dress. --Sir W. Scott. 17. Lace wrought the needle; as, point de Venise; Brussels point. See Point lace, below. 18. pl. (Railways) A switch. [Eng.] 19. An item of private information; a hint; a tip; a pointer. [Cant, U. S.] 20. (Cricket) A fielder who is stationed on the off side, about twelve or fifteen yards from, and a little in advance of, the batsman. 21. The attitude assumed by a pointer dog when he finds game; as, the dog came to a point. See Pointer. 22. (Type Making) A standard unit of measure for the size of type bodies, being one twelfth of the thickness of pica type. See Point system of type, under Type. 23. A tyne or snag of an antler. 24. One of the spaces on a backgammon board. 25. (Fencing) A movement executed with the saber or foil; as, tierce point. Note: The word point is a general term, much used in the sciences, particularly in mathematics, mechanics, perspective, and physics, but generally either in the geometrical sense, or in that of degree, or condition of change, and with some accompanying descriptive or qualifying term, under which, in the vocabulary, the specific uses are explained; as, boiling point, carbon point, dry point, freezing point, melting point, vanishing point, etc. At all points, in every particular, completely; perfectly. --Shak. At point, In point, At, In, or On, the point, as near as can be; on the verge; about (see About, prep., 6); as, at the point of death; he was on the point of speaking. "In point to fall down." --Chaucer. "Caius Sidius Geta, at point to have been taken, recovered himself so valiantly as brought day on his side." --Milton. Dead point. (Mach.) Same as Dead center, under Dead. Far point (Med.), in ophthalmology, the farthest point at which objects are seen distinctly. In normal eyes the nearest point at which objects are seen distinctly; either with the two eyes together (binocular near point), or with each eye separately (monocular near point). Nine points of the law, all but the tenth point; the greater weight of authority. On the point. See At point, above. Point lace, lace wrought with the needle, as distinguished from that made on the pillow. Point net, a machine-made lace imitating a kind of Brussels lace (Brussels ground). Point of concurrence (Geom.), a point common to two lines, but not a point of tangency or of intersection, as, for instance, that in which a cycloid meets its base. Point of contrary flexure, a point at which a curve changes its direction of curvature, or at which its convexity and concavity change sides. Point of order, in parliamentary practice, a question of order or propriety under the rules. Point of sight (Persp.), in a perspective drawing, the point assumed as that occupied by the eye of the spectator. Point of view, the relative position from which anything is seen or any subject is considered. Points of the compass (Naut.), the thirty-two points of division of the compass card in the mariner's compass; the corresponding points by which the circle of the horizon is supposed to be divided, of which the four marking the directions of east, west, north, and south, are called cardinal points, and the rest are named from their respective directions, as N. by E., N. N. E., N. E. by N., N. E., etc. See Illust. under Compass. Point paper, paper pricked through so as to form a stencil for transferring a design. Point system of type. See under Type. Singular point (Geom.), a point of a curve which possesses some property not possessed by points in general on the curve, as a cusp, a point of inflection, a node, etc. To carry one's point, to accomplish one's object, as in a controversy. To make a point of, to attach special importance to. To make, or gain, a point, accomplish that which was proposed; also, to make advance by a step, grade, or position. To mark, or score, a point, as in billiards, cricket, etc., to note down, or to make, a successful hit, run, etc. To strain a point, to go beyond the proper limit or rule; to stretch one's authority or conscience. Vowel point, in Hebrew, and certain other Eastern and ancient languages, a mark placed above or below the consonant, or attached to it, representing the vowel, or vocal sound, which precedes or follows the consonant.
Un*gain"ly\, a. [OE. ungeinliche, adv., fr. ungein inconvenient; un- + Icel. gegn ready, serviceable; adv., against, opposite. See Un- not, and Gain, a., Again.]1. Not gainly; not expert or dexterous; clumsy; awkward; uncouth; as, an ungainly strut in walking. His ungainly figure and eccentric manners. --Macaulay. 2. Unsuitable; unprofitable. [Obs.] --Hammond.
Ven"i*son\ (?; 277), n. [OE. veneison, veneson, venison, OF. veneison, F. venaison, L. venatio hunting, the chase, game, fr. venari, p. p. venatus, to hunt; perhaps akin to OHG. weidin?n, weidenen, to pasture, to hunt, G. weide pasturage. Cf. Gain to acquire, Venation.]1. Beasts of the chase. [Obs.] --Fabyan. 2. Formerly, the flesh of any of the edible beasts of the chase, also of game birds; now, the flesh of animals of the deer kind exclusively.
Win\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Won, Obs. Wan; p. pr. & vb. n. Winning.] [OE. winnen, AS. winnan to strive, labor, fight, endure; akin to OFries. winna, OS. winnan, D. winnen to win, gain, G. gewinnen, OHG. winnan to strive, struggle, Icel. vinna to labor, suffer, win, Dan. vinde to win, Sw. vinna, Goth. winnan to suffer, Skr. van to wish, get, gain, conquer. [root]138. Cf. Venerate, Winsome, Wish, Wont, a.]1. To gain by superiority in competition or contest; to obtain by victory over competitors or rivals; as, to win the prize in a gate; to win money; to win a battle, or to win a country. "This city for to win." --Chaucer. "Who thus shall Canaan win." --Milton. Thy well-breathed horse Impels the flying car, and wins the course. --Dryden. 2. To allure to kindness; to bring to compliance; to gain or obtain, as by solicitation or courtship. Thy virtue wan me; with virtue preserve me. --Sir P. Sidney. She is a woman; therefore to be won. --Shak. 3. To gain over to one's side or party; to obtain the favor, friendship, or support of; to render friendly or approving; as, to win an enemy; to win a jury. 4. To come to by toil or effort; to reach; to overtake. [Archaic] Even in the porch he him did win. --Spenser. And when the stony path began, By which the naked peak they wan, Up flew the snowy ptarmigan. --Sir W. Scott. 5. (Mining) To extract, as ore or coal. --Raymond. Syn: To gain; get; procure; earn. See Gain.
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