Gain
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gain¹
- /ɡeɪn/
Rhymes with -eɪn
Where it comes from
From Middle English gayn, gain, gein (“profit, advantage”), from Old Norse gagn (“benefit, advantage, use”), from Proto-Germanic *gagną, *gaganą (“gain, profit", literally "return”), from Proto-Germanic *gagana (“back, against, in return”), a reduplication of Proto-Germanic *ga- (“with, together”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“next to, at, with, along”).
Cognate with Icelandic gagn (“gain, advantage, use”), Swedish gagn (“benefit, profit”), Danish gavn (“gain, profit, success”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌴𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽 (gageigan, “to gain, profit”), Old Norse gegn (“ready”), dialectal Swedish gen (“useful, noteful”), Latin cum (“with”); see gain-, again, against. Compare also Middle English gaynen, geinen (“to be of use, profit, avail”), Icelandic and Swedish gagna (“to avail, help”), Danish gavne (“to benefit”).
The Middle English word was reinforced by Middle French gain (“gain, profit, advancement, cultivation”), from Old French gaaing, gaaigne, gaigne, a noun derivative of gaaignier, gaigner (“to till, earn, win”), from Frankish *waiþanōn (“to pasture, graze, hunt for food”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *waiþiz, *waiþō, *waiþijō (“pasture, field, hunting ground”); compare Old High German weidōn, weidanōn (“to hunt, forage for food”) (Modern German Weide (“pasture”)), Old Norse veiða (“to catch, hunt”), Old English wǣþan (“to hunt, chase, pursue”). Related to wide.
verb gains · gaining · gained · gain
- To acquire possession of. Looks like you’ve gained a new friend.
- To have or receive advantage or profit; to acquire gain; to grow rich; to advance in interest, health, or happiness; to make progress. The sick man gains daily.
- To come off winner or victor in; to be successful in; to obtain by competition. to gain a battle; to gain a case at law
- To increase. Then they had bouts of wrestling and of cudgel play, so that every day they gained in skill and strength.
- To grow more likely to catch or overtake someone. to gain ground
- To reach. to gain the top of a mountain
- To draw into any interest or party; to win to one’s side; to conciliate. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
- To put on weight. I’ve been gaining.
- To run fast, often by a specified amount. Don't rely on that clock: it gains.
noun gains
- The act of gaining; acquisition. People are more willing to take a risk to avoid a loss than to make a gain.
- The thing or things gained. Everyone shall share in the gains.
- The factor by which a signal is multiplied. There follows the high and low-frequency replay equalization, which normally involves two adjustments with a further control allowing the replay gain to be set.
gain²
- /ɡeɪn/
Rhymes with -eɪn
Where it comes from
From dialectal English gen, gin, short for again, agen (“against”); also Middle English gain, gayn, gein, ȝæn (“against”), from Old English gēan, geġn (“against”). More at against.
preposition
- Against.
gain³
- /ɡeɪn/
Rhymes with -eɪn
Where it comes from
From Middle English gayn, gein, geyn (“straight, direct, short, fit, good”), from Old Norse gegn (“straight, direct, short, ready, serviceable, kindly”), from gegn (“opposite, against”, adverb) (whence gagna (“to go against, meet, suit, be meet”)); see above. Adverb from Middle English gayn, gayne (“fitly, quickly”), from the adjective.
adjective more gain · most gain
- Straight, direct; near; short. the gainest way
- Suitable; convenient; ready.
- Easy; tolerable; handy, dexterous.
- Honest; respectable; moderate; cheap.
adverb more gain · most gain
- Straightly; quickly; by the nearest way or means.
- Suitably; conveniently; dexterously; moderately.
- Tolerably; fairly. gain quiet
gain⁴
- /ɡeɪn/
Rhymes with -eɪn
Where it comes from
Compare Welsh gan (“a mortise”).
noun gains
- A square or bevelled 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.
Gain⁵
Where it comes from
* As an English and Scottish surname of Norman origin, from the name Engaine, based on Old French engaigne (“ingenuity”), from Latin ingenium. Sometimes confused with Ingham.
* As a French surname, from the verb gagner (“to obtain, gain”).
proper noun Gains
- A surname.
