win
pronunciation
How to pronounce win in British English:
UK [wɪn]
How to pronounce win in American English:
US [wɪn]
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- Noun:
- a victory (as in a race or other competition)
- something won (especially money)
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- Verb:
- be the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious
- win something through one's efforts
- obtain advantages, such as points, etc.
- attain success or reach a desired goal
Word Origin
- win
- win: [OE] Win probably goes back ultimately to the Indo-European base *van- ‘overcome, conquer’, which also produced Sanskrit van- ‘gain, acquire’. Its Germanic relatives include German gewinnen ‘gain’ and Swedish vinna ‘win’.
- win (v.)
- "be victorious," c. 1300 fusion of Old English winnan "to labor, toil, struggle for, work at, strive, fight," and gewinnan "to gain or succeed by struggling, conquer, obtain," both from Proto-Germanic *winn(w)an "to seek to gain" (cognates: Old Saxon winnan, Old Norse vinna, Old Frisian winna, Dutch winnen "to gain, win," Danish vinde "to win," Old High German winnan "to strive, struggle, fight," German gewinnen "to gain, win," Gothic gawinnen "to suffer, toil"), from PIE *wen- (1) "desire, strive for" (source of wish; see Venus). Related: Won; winning. Meaning "gain the affection or esteem of" is from c. 1600. Breadwinner preserves the sense of "toil" in Old English winnan. Phrase you can't win them all (1954) first attested in Raymond Chandler. Winningest is attested by 1804.
- win (n.)
- Old English winn "labor, toil; strife, conflict; profit, gain," from the source of win (v.). Modern sense of "a victory in a game or contest" is first attested 1862, from the verb.
Example
- 1. Nor would they obviously win elections .
- 2. Apple did not win that case .
- 3. Who will win the argument ?
- 4. To win a football game of course .
- 5. Mr kabila is very likely to win .