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   gain

   /ɡān/

   verb

   • 1. obtain or secure (something desired, favorable, or profitable): "the process has gained the confidence of the industry" Similar obtaingetacquirecome byprocuresecureattainachieveearnwincaptureclinchpick upcarry offreapgatherreceivebe givenbe awardedcome away withinformal:landnetbagpotscoopwangleswingscorenabcollarcophookget one's hands onget one's mitts onget hold ofwalk away withwalk off withOpposite lose
   • ▪ bring over to one's interest or views; win over: archaic "to gratify the queen, and gain the court"
   • ▪ reach or arrive at (a desired destination): "we gained the ridge" Similar reacharrive atget tocome toget as far asmakemake it toattainset foot onend up atland up atfetch up atinformal:hitwind up at
   • ▪ come closer to (a person or thing pursued): "a huge bear gaining on him with every stride" Similar catch up withcatch up oncatch someone upcatchnarrow the gap betweenget nearer todraw nearer toclose in oncreep up oncome up toapproachnear
   • 2. increase the amount or rate of (something, typically weight or speed): "I have gained weight over the years" Similar increase input onadd onbuild upacquire more of somethingOpposite lose
   • ▪ increase in value: "stocks also gained for the third day in a row" Similar earnbring inmakegetget paidpocketcleargrossnetrealizeinformal:rake inhaul inbag
   • ▪ (of a clock or watch) become fast by (a specific amount of time): "this atomic clock will neither gain nor lose a second in the next 1 million years"

   noun

   • 1. an increase in wealth or resources: "the mayor was accused of using municipal funds for personal gain" Similar profitearningsincomeadvantagebenefitrewardemolumentyieldreturnwinningsreceiptsproceedsdividendinterestpercentagetakingsinformal:pickingscuttakerake-offdivvywhackslice of the cakebunceOpposite loss
   • ▪ a thing that is achieved or acquired: "a balance between water loss and water gain"
   • ▪ the factor by which power or voltage is increased in an amplifier or other electronic device, usually expressed as a logarithm.

   Word Origin late 15th century (as a noun, originally in the sense ‘booty’): from Old French gaigne (noun), gaignier (verb), of Germanic origin.

   Derivatives

   • 1. gainable adjective
   • 2. gainer noun

   Scrabble Points: 5

   • G

     2

   • A

     1

   • I

     1

   • N

     1

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