Main Entry: ¹win

Pronunciation: \ˈwin\

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): won \ˈwən\; win·ning

Etymology: Middle English winnen, from Old English winnan to struggle; akin to Old High German winnan to struggle and probably to Latin venus sexual desire, charm, Sanskrit vanas desire, vanoti he strives for

Date: before 12th century

transitive verb 1 a : to get possession of by effort or fortune b : to obtain by work : earn <striving to win a living from the sterile soil>
2 a : to gain in or as if in battle or contest <won the championship> b : to be the victor in <won the war>
3 a : to make friendly or favorable to oneself or to one's cause —often used with over <won him over with persuasive arguments> b : to induce to accept oneself in marriage <was unable to win the woman he loved>
4 a : to obtain (as ore, coal, or clay) by mining b : to prepare (as a vein or bed) for regular mining c : to recover (as metal) from ore
5 : to reach by expenditure of effortintransitive verb 1 : to gain the victory in a contest : succeed
2 : to succeed in arriving at a place or a state

— win·less \ˈwin-ləs\ adjective

— win·na·ble \ˈwi-nə-bəl\ adjective