Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Gain \Gain\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Gained} (g[=a]nd); p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Gaining}.] [From gain, n. but. prob. influenced by F.
   gagner to earn, gain, OF. gaaignier to cultivate, OHG.
   weidin[=o]n, weidinen to pasture, hunt, fr. weida pasturage,
   G. weide, akin to Icel. vei[eth]r hunting, AS. w[=a][eth]u,
   cf. L. venari to hunt, E. venison. See {Gain}, n., profit.]
   1. To get, as profit or advantage; to obtain or acquire by
      effort or labor; as, to gain a good living.

            What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole
            world, and lose his own soul?         --Matt. xvi.
                                                  26.

            To gain dominion, or to keep it gained. --Milton.

            For fame with toil we gain, but lose with ease.
                                                  --Pope.

   2. To come off winner or victor in; to be successful in; to
      obtain by competition; as, to gain a battle; to gain a
      case at law; to gain a prize.

   3. To draw into any interest or party; to win to one's side;
      to conciliate.

            If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
                                                  --Matt. xviii.
                                                  15.

            To gratify the queen, and gained the court.
                                                  --Dryden.

   4. To reach; to attain to; to arrive at; as, to gain the top
      of a mountain; to gain a good harbor.

            Forded Usk and gained the wood.       --Tennyson.

   5. To get, incur, or receive, as loss, harm, or damage. [Obs.
      or Ironical]

            Ye should . . . not have loosed from Crete, and to
            have gained this harm and loss.       --Acts xxvii.
                                                  21.

   {Gained day}, the calendar day gained in sailing eastward
      around the earth.

   {To gain ground}, to make progress; to advance in any
      undertaking; to prevail; to acquire strength or extent.

   {To gain over}, to draw to one's party or interest; to win
      over.

   {To gain the wind} (Naut.), to reach the windward side of
      another ship.

   Syn: To obtain; acquire; get; procure; win; earn; attain;
        achieve.

   Usage: See {Obtain}. -- {To Gain}, {Win}. Gain implies only
          that we get something by exertion; win, that we do it
          in competition with others. A person gains knowledge,
          or gains a prize, simply by striving for it; he wins a
          victory, or wins a prize, by taking it in a struggle
          with others.

Gain \Gain\ (g[=a]n), n. [Cf. W. gan a mortise.] (Arch.)
   A square or beveled notch cut out of a girder, binding joist,
   or other timber which supports a floor beam, so as to receive
   the end of the floor beam.

Gain \Gain\, a. [OE. gein, gain, good, near, quick; cf. Icel.
   gegn ready, serviceable, and gegn, adv., against, opposite.
   Cf. {Ahain}.]
   Convenient; suitable; direct; near; handy; dexterous; easy;
   profitable; cheap; respectable. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Gain \Gain\ (g[=a]n), n. [OE. gain, gein, ga[yogh]hen, gain,
   advantage, Icel. gagn; akin to Sw. gagn, Dan. gavn, cf. Goth.
   gageigan to gain. The word was prob. influenced by F. gain
   gain, OF. gaain. Cf. {Gain}, v. t.]
   1. That which is gained, obtained, or acquired, as increase,
      profit, advantage, or benefit; -- opposed to {loss}.

            But what things were gain to me, those I counted
            loss for Christ.                      --Phil. iii.
                                                  7.

            Godliness with contentment is great gain. --1 Tim.
                                                  vi. 6.

            Every one shall share in the gains.   --Shak.

   2. The obtaining or amassing of profit or valuable
      possessions; acquisition; accumulation. ``The lust of
      gain.'' --Tennyson.

Gain \Gain\, v. i.
   To have or receive advantage or profit; to acquire gain; to
   grow rich; to advance in interest, health, or happiness; to
   make progress; as, the sick man gains daily.

         Thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by
         extortion.                               --Ezek. xxii.
                                                  12.

   {Gaining twist}, in rifled firearms, a twist of the grooves,
      which increases regularly from the breech to the muzzle.

   {To gain on} or {upon}.
   (a) To encroach on; as, the ocean gains on the land.
   (b) To obtain influence with.
   (c) To win ground upon; to move faster than, as in a race or
       contest.
   (d) To get the better of; to have the advantage of.

             The English have not only gained upon the Venetians
             in the Levant, but have their cloth in Venice
             itself.                              --Addison.

             My good behavior had so far gained on the emperor,
             that I began to conceive hopes of liberty. --Swift.

Source : WordNet®

gain
     n 1: a quantity that is added; "there was an addition to property
          taxes this year"; "they recorded the cattle's gain in
          weight over a period of weeks" [syn: {addition}, {increase}]
     2: the advantageous quality of being beneficial [syn: {profit}]
     3: the amount of increase in signal power or voltage or current
        expressed as the ratio of output to input [syn: {amplification}]
     4: the amount by which the revenue of a business exceeds its
        cost of operating [ant: {loss}]

gain
     v 1: obtain; "derive pleasure from one's garden" [syn: {derive}]
     2: win something through one's efforts; "I acquired a passing
        knowledge of Chinese"; "Gain an understanding of
        international finance" [syn: {acquire}, {win}] [ant: {lose}]
     3: derive a benefit from; "She profited from his vast
        experience" [syn: {profit}, {benefit}]
     4: reach a destination, either real or abstract; "We hit
        Detroit by noon"; "The water reached the doorstep"; "We
        barely made it to the finish line"; "I have to hit the MAC
        machine before the weekend starts" [syn: {reach}, {make},
        {attain}, {hit}, {arrive at}]
     5: obtain advantages, such as points, etc.; "The home team was
        gaining ground"; "After defeating the Knicks, the Blazers
        pulled ahead of the Lakers in the battle for the
        number-one playoff berth in the Western Conference" [syn:
        {advance}, {win}, {pull ahead}, {make headway}, {get ahead},
         {gain ground}] [ant: {fall back}]
     6: rise in rate or price; "The stock market gained 24 points
        today" [syn: {advance}]
     7: increase in; "gain momentum"; "gain nerve"
     8: earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as
        salary or wages; "How much do you make a month in your new
        job?"; "She earns a lot in her new job"; "this merger
        brought in lots of money"; "He clears $5,000 each month"
        [syn: {take in}, {clear}, {make}, {earn}, {realize}, {realise},
         {pull in}, {bring in}]
     9: increase (one's body weight); "She gained 20 pounds when she
        stopped exercising" [syn: {put on}] [ant: {reduce}]