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 verb1 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 ore5: to reach by expenditure of effortintransitive verb1: to gain the victory in a contest : succeed2: to succeed in arriving at a place or a state

— win·less \ˈwin-ləs\ adjective

— win·na·ble \ˈwi-nə-bəl\ adjective