Win

Pronunciation

IPA: /wÉªn/
Rhymes: -Éªn

Origin 1

From Middle English winne, wunne, from Old English wynn ("joy, rapture, pleasure, delight, gladness"), from Proto-Germanic *wunjÅ ("joy, delight, pleasure, lust"), from Proto-Indo-European *wen- ("to strive, wish, desire, love"). Cognate with German Wonne ("bliss, joy, delight"), Danish ynde ("grace"), Icelandic yndi ("delight").

Full definition of win

Noun

win

(plural wins)

(UK dialectal, Scotland) Pleasure; joy; delight.

Derived terms

worldly win

Origin 2

From Middle English winnen, from Old English winnan ("to labour, swink, toil, trouble oneself; resist, oppose, contradict; fight, strive, struggle, rage; endure") (compare Old English Ä¡ewinnan ("conquer, obtain, gain; endure, bear, suffer; be ill")), from Proto-Germanic *winnanÄ… ("to swink, labour, win, gain, fight"), from Proto-Indo-European *wen- ("to strive, wish, desire, love"). Cognate with Low German winnen, Dutch winnen, German gewinnen, Swedish vinna.

Verb

(obsolete, transitive) To conquer, defeat.

1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book IV:And yf ye wynne vs in bataille the lady shal haue her landes ageyne ....
1998, Rhapsody, Emerald SwordFor the glory, the power to win the Black Lord, I will search for the Emerald Sword.

(transitive) To triumph or achieve victory in (a game, a war, etc).
(transitive) To gain (a prize) by succeeding in competition or contest.to win the jackpot in a lottery; to win a bottle of wine in a raffle
(transitive) To obtain (someone) by wooing.

Sir Philip SidneyThy virtue won me; with virtue preserve me.
ShakespeareShe is a woman; therefore to be won.

(intransitive) To achieve victory.Who would win in a fight between an octopus and a dolphin?
(transitive) To obtain (something desired).The company hopes to win an order from the government worth over 5 million dollars.
(transitive) To cause a victory for someone.The success of the economic policies should win Mr. Smith the next elections.The policy success should win the elections for Mr. Smith.
(transitive, obsolete) To come to by toil or effort; to reach; to overtake.

SpenserEven in the porch he him did win.
Sir Walter ScottAnd when the stony path began,
By which the naked peak they won,
Up flew the snowy ptarmigan.

(transitive, mining) To extract (ore, coal, etc.).

Derived terms

Origin 3

From Middle English winn, winne, from Old English winn ("toil, labor, trouble, hardship; profit, gain; conflict, strife, war"), from Proto-Germanic *winnÄ… ("labour, struggle, fight"), from Proto-Indo-European *wen- ("to strive, desire, wish, love"). Cognate with German Gewinn ("profit, gain").

Noun

win

(plural wins)

gain; profit; income
wealth; owndom; goods
an individual victory (opposite of a loss)Our first win of the season put us in high spirits.

2011, September 29, Jon Smith, Tottenham 3 - 1 Shamrock Rovers, Giovani dos Santos smashed home a third five minutes later to wrap up the win.

(slang) a feat, an (extraordinary) achievement (opposite of a fail)