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, especially by roundabout means.
Origin: 1425–75; late Middle English (noun) < Middle French, contraction of Old French gaaing, noun derivative of gaaignier to till, earn, win < Germanic; compare Old High German weidanōn to hunt, forage for food
Related forms
gain·a·ble, adjective
un·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 increase, improve, or advance: the car gained speed; the shares gained in value
4.
(tr) to earn (a wage, living, etc)
5.
(intr; usually foll by on or upon)
a. to get nearer (to) or catch up (on)
b. to get farther away (from)
6.
(tr) (esp of ships) to get to; reach: the steamer gained port
7.
(of a timepiece) to operate too fast, so as to indicate a time ahead of the true time or to run fast by a specified amount: this watch gains; it gains ten minutes a day
8.
gain ground to make progress or obtain an advantage
9.
gain time
a. to obtain extra time by a delay or postponement
late 15c. (n.), 1520s (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