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gain - 17 dictionary results

gain

1 [geyn]

Use gain in a Sentence

–verb (used with object)

1.	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.

Antonyms:
1. lose.

gain

2 [geyn]

Carpentry.

–noun

1.	a notch, dado, or mortise cut into a piece of wood, as to receive another piece or to house a flap of a hinge.

2.	tusk (def. 4).

3.	a short rabbet, for receiving a flap of a butt hinge.

–verb (used with object)

4.	to make a gain or gains in.

5.	to fasten or support by means of a gain.

Origin:
1670–80; perh. akin to obs. gane, OE (north) ganian to yawn, open

tusk

[tuhsk]

–noun

1.	(in certain animals) a tooth developed to great length, usually one of a pair, as in the elephant, walrus, and wild boar, but singly in the narwhal.

2.	a long, pointed, or protruding tooth.

3.	a projection resembling the tusk of an animal.

4.	Also called gain. Carpentry. a diagonally cut shoulder at the end of a timber for strengthening a tenon.

–verb (used with object)

5.	to dig up or tear off with the tusks.

6.	to gore with a tusk.

–verb (used without object)

7.	to dig up or thrust at the ground with the tusks.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME, metathetic var. of tux, OE, var. of tusc tush ² ; c. OFris tusk; akin to tooth

Related forms:

tuskless, adjective

tusklike, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To gain

gain¹ (gān)

v. gained, gain·ing, gains

v. tr.

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.
1. To manage to achieve an increase of: a movement that gained strength; gained wisdom with age.
2. 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.
1. To close a gap; get closer: The runners in the back gained steadily on the leader.
2. 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.

1. Something gained or acquired: territorial gains.
2. 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).]

gain² (gān)

n. A notch or mortise cut into a board to receive another part.
tr.v. gained, gain·ing, gains

To cut out a gain in.
To join by or fit into a gain.

[Origin unknown.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Gain

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

Gain\, a. [OE. gein, gain, good, near, quick; cf. Icel. gegn ready, serviceable, and gegn, adv., against, opposite. Cf. Ahain.] Convenient; suitable; direct; near; handy; dexterous; easy; profitable; cheap; respectable. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Gain

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

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

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.

Language Translation for : gain

Spanish: ganar, adquirir, obtener, conseguir,

German: gewinnen,

Japanese: 得る

More Translations »

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."

Gain

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.

gain

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 asset

long–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 capital

short–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
2 plural in 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 —gain verb

Main Entry: gain
Pronunciation: 'gAn
Function: intransitive verb
: to improve in health gained daily>

gain (gān)
n.

An increase in amount or degree.
Progress; advancement.

gain

In addition to the idiom beginning with gain, also see ill-gotten gains; no pain, no gain; nothing ventured, nothing gained.

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