I. ˈgān adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English gayn, geyn, from Old English gēn, from Old Norse gegn — more at again
1. dialect Britain , of a route : direct and straight
the gainest way to the glen
2. dialect Britain : useful and convenient : handy
a gain tool
II. adverb
( -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English gayn, from gayn, adjective
dialect Britain : nearly , approximately
III. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English gaynen, geinen, from Old Norse gegna, from gegn, adjective
: to be of advantage or help : be suitable or sufficient
IV. ˈgān noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English gayne, from Middle French gain (from Old French gaaing, from gaaignier to gain) & gaigne, from Old French gaaigne, from gaaignier
1. : an increase in or addition to what is of profit, advantage, or benefit : resources or advantage acquired or increased : profit
the moral and cultural gains of the last 1000 years
a lottery for private gain
the practice resulted in quite a gain in confidence in the driver
the difficulties encountered, the compromises reached, the gains achieved — Vera M. Dean
as
a. : an increase of value (as from business transactions or increase in capital)
the loss or gain in a company's assets
b. : an increase in resources or business advantages resulting from business transactions or dealings
c. : a profit in the form of a sum of money, an acquired asset, or a reduction in liability arising from business transactions but not including mere advances in value — usually used in plural
capital gains to be entered separately on the income-tax form
2. : the act of gaining something ; especially : the act of obtaining or accumulating profit or valuable possessions
3.
a. : an increase in amount, magnitude, or degree
the gain in weight of the cattle over a period of weeks was recorded
the gain in efficiency is more than worth the heat loss — Modern Industry
sales aggregated 84,293,729 barrels, a gain of 1.3 percent over 1951 — Americana Annual
its absence would mean … more loss than gain in social relations — W.C.Brownell
b. : the ratio of increase of output current, power, or voltage over input (as in an amplifier)
V. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle French gaigner, from Old French gaaignier to till, earn, win, gain, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German weidanōn to hunt, search for food; akin to Old English wāth hunt, wandering, Old High German weida pasture, fodder, food, Old Norse veithr hunt, hunting, fishing, Latin vis power, force — more at vim
transitive verb
1.
a. : to get or attain to possession, control, use, or benefit of (as an advantage) by industry, initiative, merit, or craft : obtain , procure , secure
gain a sum of money
gain a good reputation
gain recognition
gain admittance
gain popularity
gain a livelihood
gain insight
after climbing all the morning he had failed to gain another glimpse of the great brown ram — C.G.D.Roberts
gain the goodwill of the people — H.C.Atyeo
a great aid to us in gaining an inspection of the grounds — A.W.O'Neil
b.
(1) : to get in competition
gain a prize in a tennis match
(2) : to come off winner or victor in
gain a battle
gain a suit at law
c. : to get or incur by a natural development, advance, or increment or by the normal exercise of one's function : come to have : receive
the invalid gained strength under the doctor's care
the writing was such that the reader actually gained the illusion of a cruise
the false story gained credence
the impression was gained that the divisional heads would hold key positions — Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
the child is gaining a sense of rhythm and balance — Handwriting Today
d. : to obtain by reclamation
land gained from the sea
e. : to make or acquire (as a friend)
gain an acquaintance
f. : to advance to the distance of by striving against odds or an opposing force
the football team gained forty yards in the first three plays
g. : suffer
gained a black eye for his trouble
the participants gained only ignominy and unhappiness
2. : to draw to one's particular interest or party : win to one's side : persuade
gain adherents for his religious doctrines
— often used with over
had been gained over to urge this fatal course by a gift — Encyc. Americana
3. : to arrive at
the first ones to gain the top of the mountain held it against attack
gain a goal
: reach , attain
he gained his car and he was safe — Jean Stafford
4. : to cause to be obtained or given : arouse
misfortune gains the sympathy of friends
gain the audience's attention
5. : to increase in
gain momentum
gain impetus
does not mean that the actual aesthetic experience gains nothing when it is studied in the context of our total experience — Hunter Mead
6. : to establish or reestablish a usual or normal use or position of
gained his feet after a fall
gain my equilibrium
7. of a timepiece : to run fast by the amount of
gains a minute a day
intransitive verb
1. : to secure advantage or profit : acquire gain
the man supplying the capital expected to gain considerably by the enterprise
2.
a. : increase
the child gained in weight
gain in influence
gain in reputation
the day was gaining in warmth
b. : to increase in weight
despite her diet the woman continued to gain
c. : to improve in health
the patient gained daily
d. : to become greater
the water gained so frightfully in the ship that it seemed certain she would sink — Fletcher Pratt
3. of a timepiece : to run so that it is fast : register a time ahead of the correct time
gains by an hour a day
Synonyms: see get , reach
•
- gain a point
- gain face
- gain ground
- gain on
- gain the wind
- gain time
VI. noun
( -s )
Etymology: origin unknown
1. : a beveled shoulder above a tenon in carpentry
2. : a notch, mortise, or groove (as in a timber or wall) for a girder or joist