win1

[win] /wɪn/
verb (used without object), won, winning.
1.
to finish first in a race, contest, or the like.
2.
to succeed by striving or effort:
He applied for a scholarship and won.
3.
to gain the victory; overcome an adversary:
The home team won.
4.
Slang. to be successful or competent and be acknowledged for it:
My sister wins at getting the biggest bargains.
Compare fail (def 9).
verb (used with object), won, winning.
5.
to succeed in reaching (a place, condition, etc.), especially by great effort:
They won the shore through a violent storm.
6.
to get by effort, as through labor, competition, or conquest:
He won his post after years of striving.
7.
to gain (a prize, fame, etc.).
8.
to be successful in (a game, battle, etc.).
9.
to make (one's way), as by effort or ability.
10.
to attain or reach (a point, goal, etc.).
11.
to gain (favor, love, consent, etc.), as by qualities or influence.
12.
to gain the favor, regard, or adherence of.
13.
to gain the consent or support of; persuade (often followed by over):
The speech won them over to our side.
14.
to persuade to marry; gain in marriage.
15.
British Mining.
  1. to obtain (ore, coal, etc.).
  2. to prepare (a vein, bed, mine, etc.) for working, by means of shafts or the like.
noun
16.
a victory, as in a game or horse race.
17.
the position of the competitor who comes in first in a horse race, harness race, etc.
Compare place (def 27b), show (def 27).
18.
Slang.
  1. a success, or something good:
    She was having a bad week, so she really needed a win.
    Compare fail (def 14a).
  2. the state or quality of being successful or good:
    There was so much win in last night’s episode!
    Compare fail (def 14b).
adjective
19.
Slang.
  1. successful or competent.
    Compare fail (def 19b).
  2. very good or of high quality; awesome:
    To hear him play, now that was win!
    Compare fail (def 19c).
interjection
20.
Slang. (used to acknowledge success, competence, etc.):
I just got tickets to the concert. Win!
Verb phrases
21.
win out, to win or succeed, especially over great odds; triumph:
His finer nature finally won out.
Idioms
22.
for the win, Slang. (used to express enthusiasm for someone or something that is very good, likely to succeed, etc.):
a plant-based diet, for the win!
Origin
before 900; Middle English winnen (v.), Old English winnan to work, fight, bear; cognate with German gewinnen, Old Norse vinna, Gothic winnan
Related forms
winnable, adjective
Synonyms
6. obtain, secure, acquire, achieve, reach, procure. See gain1 . 13. convince.

win2

[win] /wɪn/
verb (used with object), winned, winning. Scot. and North England
1.
to dry (hay, wood, etc.) by exposure to air and sun.
Origin
1550-60; perhaps variant of winnow
Examples from the web for win
  • He's too far to the right to win the general election.
  • Suing libraries and universities is not a move calculated to win public affection.
  • By the end of the summer, their new racks are fully grown, ready for sparring in order to win mates.
  • If you can pay for the program without going further into debt, that would be a win.
  • But fundamentally worthy policies shouldn't need to promise laughably overoptimistic outcomes to win support.
  • Kids always seem to win if there is a tie over a roll.
  • He did not win his mandate as prime minister at the polls.
  • So the good traits win over time, even though they are few of them.
  • Hundreds of people have tried to win this prize, all have failed when tested using a properly controlled scientific method.
  • But what he found more enticing was a chance to win money.
British Dictionary definitions for win

win1

/wɪn/
verb wins, winning, won
1.
(intransitive) to achieve first place in a competition
2.
(transitive) to gain or receive (a prize, first place, etc) in a competition
3.
(transitive) to succeed in or gain (something) with an effort: we won recognition
4.
win one's spurs
  1. to achieve recognition in some field of endeavour
  2. (history) to be knighted
5.
to gain victory or triumph in (a battle, argument, etc)
6.
(transitive) to earn or procure (a living, etc) by work
7.
(transitive) to take possession of, esp violently; capture: the Germans never won Leningrad
8.
when intr, foll by out, through, etc. to reach with difficulty (a desired condition or position) or become free, loose, etc, with effort: the boat won the shore, the boat won through to the shore
9.
(transitive) to turn someone into (a supporter, enemy, etc): you have just won an ally
10.
(transitive) to gain (the sympathy, loyalty, etc) of someone
11.
(transitive) to obtain (a woman, etc) in marriage
12.
(transitive)
  1. to extract (ore, coal, etc) from a mine
  2. to extract (metal or other minerals) from ore
  3. to discover and make (a mineral deposit) accessible for mining
13.
(informal) you can't win, an expression of resignation after an unsuccessful attempt to overcome difficulties
noun
14.
(informal) a success, victory, or triumph
15.
profit; winnings
16.
the act or fact of reaching the finishing line or post first
See also win out
Derived Forms
winnable, adjective
Word Origin
Old English winnan; related to Old Norse vinna, German gewinnen

win2

/wɪn/
verb (transitive) (Irish & Scot, Northern English, dialect) wins, winning, won, winned
1.
to dry (grain, hay, peat, etc) by exposure to sun and air
2.
a less common word for winnow
Word Origin
Old English, perhaps a variant of winnow
Word Origin and History for win
v.

fusion of Old English winnan "struggle for, work at, strive, fight," and gewinnan "to gain or succeed by struggling, to win," both from Proto-Germanic *wenwanan (cf. Old Saxon winnan, Old Norse vinna, Old Frisian winna, Dutch winnen "to gain, win," Danish vinde "to win," Old High German winnan "to strive, struggle, fight," German gewinnen "to gain, win," Gothic gawinnen "to suffer, toil"). Perhaps related to wish, or from PIE *van- "overcome, conquer." Related: Won; winning.

Sense of "to be victorious" is recorded from c.1300. Breadwinner preserves the sense of "toil" in Old English winnan. Phrase you can't win them all (1954) first attested in Raymond Chandler. Winningest is attested by 1804.

n.

Old English winn "labor, strife, conflict," from the source of win (v.). Modern sense of "a victory in a game or contest" is first attested 1862, from the verb.

win in Technology

jargon
(Said of people, computers, algorithms, programs) (To be) a success at a given task.
E.g. "WYSIWYG is a clear win for small documents".
"winnitude" is the quality that something which wins has. "winning" is often (ab)used as an adjective.
Synonyms: cuspy, elegant. Antonym: lose. Compare lossy, lossless.
[Jargon File]
(1996-09-08)

Related Abbreviations for win

WIN

  1. Weight-control Information Network
  2. Whip Inflation Now
  3. within (shortwave transmission)
  4. Work Incentive program
Idioms and Phrases with win

win

also see: