gain1

[geyn] /geɪn/
verb (used with object)
1.
to get (something desired), especially 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 followed 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, especially 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 followed 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 followed 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.
  1. a measure of the increase in signal amplitude produced by an amplifier, expressed as the ratio of output to input.
  2. 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, 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
gainable, adjective
ungainable, 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.

gain2

[geyn] /geɪn/
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; perhaps akin to obsolete gane, Old English (north) ganian to yawn, open
Examples from the web for gain
  • They can improve milk yields, increase livestock weight gain, decrease parasite burden and reduce occurrence of bloat.
  • The opposition struggles to gain from disenchantment with the government.
  • gain the heart of a fighter without losing your dignity.
  • They found that pounded meat and potatoes caused more weight gain than raw food.
  • We need to know about them and others who risk everything for a chance to gain freedom.
  • If they happen to gain power, they do not seem to know what to do with it.
  • Inmates pose as maintenance workers to gain access to the prison guard tower.
  • In the derided experiment, they let the virus itself evolve to gain that killer capacity.
  • Townships plagued by flooding could gain precious time to make preparations.
  • Pouring the fermented beer into bottles, capping them off, and letting the beer mature and gain a little more clarity.
British Dictionary definitions for gain

gain1

/ɡeɪn/
verb
1.
(transitive) to acquire (something desirable); obtain
2.
(transitive) to win in competition: to gain the victory
3.
to increase, improve, or advance: the car gained speed, the shares gained in value
4.
(transitive) to earn (a wage, living, etc)
5.
(intransitive; usually foll by on or upon)
  1. to get nearer (to) or catch up (on)
  2. to get farther away (from)
6.
(transitive) (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
  1. to obtain extra time by a delay or postponement
  2. (of a timepiece) to operate too fast
noun
10.
something won, acquired, earned, etc; profit; advantage
11.
an increase in size, amount, etc
12.
the act of gaining; attainment; acquisition
13.
(electronics) Also called amplification. the ratio of the output signal of an amplifier to the input signal, usually measured in decibels
See also gains
Derived Forms
gainable, adjective
Word Origin
C15: from Old French gaaignier, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German weidenen to forage, hunt

gain2

/ɡeɪn/
noun
1.
a notch, mortise, or groove, esp one cut to take the flap of a butt hinge
verb
2.
(transitive) to cut a gain or gains in
Word Origin
C17: of obscure origin

GAIN

/ɡeɪn/
noun acronym (in Canada)
1.
Guaranteed Annual Income
Word Origin and History for gain
n.

late 15c., from Middle French gain, from Old French gaaigne "gain, profit, advantage; booty; arable land" (12c.), from gaaignier "to gain" (see gain (v.)). The original French sense enfolded the notions of "profit from agriculture" and "booty, prey." Implied earlier in Middle English gaignage (late 14c.) "profit from agriculture."

v.

1520s, from Middle French gagner, from Old French gaaignier "to earn, gain; trade; capture, win," also "work in the fields, cultivate land," from Frankish *waidanjan "hunt, forage," also "graze, pasture," from Proto-Germanic *wartho "hunting ground" (cf. Old English waþ "hunting," German Weide "pasture, pasturage," Old Norse veiðr "hunting, catch of fish"), from PIE *weie- "to strive after, pursue with vigor, desire" (see venison). Related: Gained; gaining. To gain on "advance nearer" is from 1719. To gain ground (1620s) was originally military.

gain in Medicine

gain (gān)
n.

  1. An increase in amount or degree.

  2. Progress; advancement.

Idioms and Phrases with gain

gain

In addition to the idiom beginning with
gain
also see: