• IPA: /ɡeɪn/

gain (gains, present participle gaining; past and past participle gained)

1. (transitive) To acquire possession of.

   Looks like you've gained a new friend.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Matthew 16:26 ↗:

     What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

2. (intransitive) 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.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Ezekiel 22:12 ↗:

     Thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion.

3. (transitive, dated) 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

4. (transitive) To increase.
   • 1883, Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Chapter V

     Then they had bouts of wrestling and of cudgel play, so that every day they gained in skill and strength.

5. (intransitive) To be more likely to catch or overtake an individual.

   I'm gaining (on you).

   gain ground

6. (transitive) To reach.

   to gain the top of a mountain

   • 1907, Jack London, The Iron Heel:

     Ernest laughed harshly and savagely when he had gained the street.

7. To draw into any interest or party; to win to one's side; to conciliate.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Matthew 18:15 ↗:

     If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

   • to gratify the queen, and gain the court

8. (intransitive) To put on weight.

   I've been gaining.

9. (of a clock or watch) To run fast.

• French: gagner
• German: gewinnen
• Italian: guadagnare, acquisire
• Portuguese: ganhar
• Russian: получа́ть
• Spanish: ganar

• Italian: guadagnare, aumentare, mettere su peso
• Spanish: ganar

gain

1. The act of gaining; acquisition.
   • 1855, Alfred Tennyson, Maude

     the lust of gain, in the spirit of Cain

2. What is gained.
   • c. 1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act IV, scene i]:

     Everyone shall share in the gains.

3. (electronics) The factor by which a signal is multiplied.
   • 1987, John Borwick, Sound recording practice (page 238)

     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.

• loss

• French: gain
• German: Gewinnen, Zugewinnen
• Italian: guadagno, profitto
• Portuguese: ganho
• Russian: получе́ние
• Spanish: ganancia

• French: gain
• German: Gewinn, Zugewinn, Ertrag, Ausbeute
• Italian: lucro, guadagno, profitto
• Portuguese: ganho
• Russian: при́быль
• Spanish: ganancia

• German: Verstärkung
• Italian: guadagno
• Russian: усиле́ние
• Spanish: ganancia

1. (obsolete) Against.

gain

1. (obsolete) Straight, direct; near; short.

   the gainest way

2. (obsolete) Suitable; convenient; ready.
3. (dialectal) Easy; tolerable; handy, dexterous.
4. (dialectal) Honest; respectable; moderate; cheap.

gain

1. (obsolete) Straightly; quickly; by the nearest way or means.
2. (dialectal) Suitably; conveniently; dexterously; moderately.
3. (dialectal) Tolerably; fairly.

   gain quiet (= fairly/pretty quiet)

gain (plural gains)

1. (architecture) 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.

1. Surname