From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
gain
n 1: a quantity that is added; "there was an addition to property
taxes this year"; "they recorded the cattle's gain in
weight over a period of weeks" [syn: addition,
increase]
2: the advantageous quality of being beneficial [syn: profit]
3: the amount of increase in signal power or voltage or current
expressed as the ratio of output to input [syn:
amplification]
4: the amount by which the revenue of a business exceeds its
cost of operating [ant: loss]
v 1: obtain; "derive pleasure from one's garden" [syn: derive]
2: win something through one's efforts; "I acquired a passing
knowledge of Chinese"; "Gain an understanding of
international finance" [syn: acquire, win] [ant:
lose]
3: derive a benefit from; "She profited from his vast
experience" [syn: profit, benefit]
4: reach a destination, either real or abstract; "We hit
Detroit by noon"; "The water reached the doorstep"; "We
barely made it to the finish line"; "I have to hit the MAC
machine before the weekend starts" [syn: reach, make,
attain, hit, arrive at]
5: obtain advantages, such as points, etc.; "The home team was
gaining ground"; "After defeating the Knicks, the Blazers
pulled ahead of the Lakers in the battle for the
number-one playoff berth in the Western Conference" [syn:
advance, win, pull ahead, make headway, {get
ahead}, gain ground] [ant: fall back]
6: rise in rate or price; "The stock market gained 24 points
today" [syn: advance]
7: increase in; "gain momentum"; "gain nerve"
8: earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as
salary or wages; "How much do you make a month in your new
job?"; "She earns a lot in her new job"; "this merger
brought in lots of money"; "He clears $5,000 each month"
[syn: take in, clear, make, earn, realize,
realise, pull in, bring in]
9: increase (one's body weight); "She gained 20 pounds when she
stopped exercising" [syn: put on] [ant: reduce]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Gain \Gain\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Gained (g[=a]nd); p. pr. &
vb. n. Gaining.] [From gain, n. but. prob. influenced by F.
gagner to earn, gain, OF. gaaignier to cultivate, OHG.
weidin[=o]n, weidinen to pasture, hunt, fr. weida pasturage,
G. weide, akin to Icel. vei[eth]r hunting, AS. w[=a][eth]u,
cf. L. venari to hunt, E. venison. See Gain, n., profit.]
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1. To get, as profit or advantage; to obtain or acquire by
effort or labor; as, to gain a good living.
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What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole
world, and lose his own soul? --Matt. xvi.
26.
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To gain dominion, or to keep it gained. --Milton.
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For fame with toil we gain, but lose with ease.
--Pope.
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2. To come off winner or victor in; to be successful in; to
obtain by competition; as, to gain a battle; to gain a
case at law; to gain a prize.
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3. To draw into any interest or party; to win to one's side;
to conciliate.
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If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
--Matt. xviii.
15.
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To gratify the queen, and gained the court.
--Dryden.
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4. To reach; to attain to; to arrive at; as, to gain the top
of a mountain; to gain a good harbor.
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Forded Usk and gained the wood. --Tennyson.
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5. To get, incur, or receive, as loss, harm, or damage. [Obs.
or Ironical]
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Ye should . . . not have loosed from Crete, and to
have gained this harm and loss. --Acts xxvii.
21.
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Gained day, the calendar day gained in sailing eastward
around the earth.
To gain ground, to make progress; to advance in any
undertaking; to prevail; to acquire strength or extent.
To gain over, to draw to one's party or interest; to win
over.
To gain the wind (Naut.), to reach the windward side of
another ship.
Syn: To obtain; acquire; get; procure; win; earn; attain;
achieve.
Usage: See Obtain. -- To Gain, Win. Gain implies only
that we get something by exertion; win, that we do it
in competition with others. A person gains knowledge,
or gains a prize, simply by striving for it; he wins a
victory, or wins a prize, by taking it in a struggle
with others.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Gain \Gain\, n. [Cf. W. gan a mortise.] (Arch.)
A square or beveled notch cut out of a girder, binding joist,
or other timber which supports a floor beam, so as to receive
the end of the floor beam.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Gain \Gain\, a. [OE. gein, gain, good, near, quick; cf. Icel.
gegn ready, serviceable, and gegn, adv., against, opposite.
Cf. Ahain.]
Convenient; suitable; direct; near; handy; dexterous; easy;
profitable; cheap; respectable. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Gain \Gain\ (g[=a]n), n. [OE. gain, gein, ga[yogh]hen, gain,
advantage, Icel. gagn; akin to Sw. gagn, Dan. gavn, cf. Goth.
gageigan to gain. The word was prob. influenced by F. gain
gain, OF. gaain. Cf. Gain, v. t.]
1. That which is gained, obtained, or acquired, as increase,
profit, advantage, or benefit; -- opposed to loss.
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But what things were gain to me, those I counted
loss for Christ. --Phil. iii.
7.
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Godliness with contentment is great gain. --1 Tim.
vi. 6.
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Every one shall share in the gains. --Shak.
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2. The obtaining or amassing of profit or valuable
possessions; acquisition; accumulation. "The lust of
gain." --Tennyson.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Gain \Gain\, v. i.
To have or receive advantage or profit; to acquire gain; to
grow rich; to advance in interest, health, or happiness; to
make progress; as, the sick man gains daily.
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Thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by
extortion. --Ezek. xxii.
12.
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Gaining twist, in rifled firearms, a twist of the grooves,
which increases regularly from the breech to the muzzle.
To gain on or To gain upon.
(a) To encroach on; as, the ocean gains on the land.
(b) To obtain influence with.
(c) To win ground upon; to move faster than, as in a race or
contest.
(d) To get the better of; to have the advantage of.
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The English have not only gained upon the Venetians
in the Levant, but have their cloth in Venice
itself. --Addison.
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My good behavior had so far gained on the emperor,
that I began to conceive hopes of liberty. --Swift.
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