win

Etymology 1

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 ġewinnan (“conquer, obtain, gain; endure, bear, suffer; be ill”)), from Proto-Germanic *winnaną (“to swink, labour, win, gain, fight”), from Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- (“to strive, wish, desire, love”). Cognate with Low German winnen, Dutch winnen, German gewinnen, Norwegian Bokmål vinne, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish vinna.

verb

1. (obsolete, transitive) To conquer, defeat.
   For and we doo bataille we two wyl fyghte with one knyȝt at ones and therfore yf ye wille fyghte ſoo we wille be redy at what houre ye wille aſſigne And yf ye wynne vs in bataille the lady ſhal haue her landes ageyne ye ſay wel ſayd ſir Vwayne 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book IV
   For the glory, the power to win the Black Lord, I will search for the Emerald Sword. 1998, Rhapsody, Emerald Sword
2. (transitive, intransitive) To reach some destination or object, despite difficulty or toil (now usually intransitive, with preposition or locative adverb).
   I well may gang out, love, but I'll never win home. c. 17th century, unknown author, The Baron of Brackley (traditional folk song)
   As this position was vulnerable, a trench was immediately begun from the junction of the Green Line with Lager Alley, back to the old British front line, in order to form a defensive flank for the protection of the troops of the 5th Infantry Brigade who had won through to their objective. 1922, Everard Wyrall, The History of the Second Division 1914-1918
   Parson Brooke was transferred in a couple of years to the Southwark mint, on dissolution of which he won back to the Tower, there to experiment with machinery in Mary's reign. 1953, John Craig, The Mint: A History of the London Mint from A.D. 287 to 1948
3. (transitive) To triumph or achieve victory in (a game, a war, etc.).
4. (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
5. (transitive) To obtain (someone) by wooing; to make an ally or friend of (frequently with over).
   Mr. Weston seems an excellent creature—quite a first-rate favourite with me already, I assure you. And she appears so truly good—there is something so motherly and kind-hearted about her, that it wins upon one directly. 1815, Jane Austen, Emma, volume II, chapter 14
6. (intransitive) To achieve victory.
   Who would win in a fight between an octopus and a dolphin?
7. (intransitive) To have power, coercion or control.
   Ever since the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, Bostonians now run as "One Boston." The terrorists did not win.
8. (transitive) To obtain (something desired).
   The company hopes to win an order from the government worth over 5 million dollars.
9. (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.
10. (transitive, mining) To extract (ore, coal, etc.).
11. (transitive, informal) To defeat or surpass someone or something.

Etymology 2

From Middle English winn, winne, from Old English winn (“toil, labor, trouble, hardship; profit, gain; conflict, strife, war”), from Proto-Germanic *winną (“labour, struggle, fight”), from Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- (“to strive, desire, wish, love”). Cognate with German Gewinn (“profit, gain”), Dutch gewin (“profit, gain”).

noun

1. An individual victory.
   Our first win of the season put us in high spirits.
   Giovani dos Santos smashed home a third five minutes later to wrap up the win. September 29, 2011, Jon Smith, “Tottenham 3 - 1 Shamrock Rovers”, in BBC Sport
2. (slang) A feat carried out successfully; a victorious achievement.
3. (obsolete) Gain; profit; income.
4. (obsolete) Wealth; goods owned.

Etymology 3

From Middle English wynne, winne, wunne, from Old English wynn (“joy, rapture, pleasure, delight, gladness”), from Proto-West Germanic *wunnju, from Proto-Germanic *wunjō (“joy, delight, pleasure, lust”), from Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- (“to strive, wish, desire, love”). Cognate with German Wonne (“bliss, joy, delight”), archaic Dutch wonne (“joy”), Danish ynde (“grace”), Icelandic yndi (“delight”).

noun

1. (Scotland) Pleasure; joy; delight.

Etymology 4

From wind.

verb

1. (transitive, Scotland) To dry by exposure to the wind.