[win] vb won ; win.ning [ME winnen, fr. OE winnan to struggle; akin to OHG winnan to struggle and prob. to L venus sexual desire, charm, Skt vanas desire, vanoti he strives for] vt (bef. 12c) 1 a: to get possession of by effort or fortune b: to obtain by work: earn "striving to ~ a living from the sterile soil"
2. a: to gain in or as if in battle or contest b: to be the victor in "won the war" 3 a: to make friendly or favorable to oneself or to one's cause--often used with over "won him over with persuasive arguments" b: to induce to accept oneself in marriage
4. a: to obtain (as ore, coal, or clay) by mining b: to prepare (as a vein or bed) for regular mining c: to recover (as metal) from ore
5: to reach by expenditure of effort ~ vi 1: to gain the victory in a contest: succeed
2: to succeed in arriving at a place or a state -- win.less adj -- win.na.ble adj
[2]win n (1862): victory; esp: first place at the finish (as of a horse race)