Win, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Won, Obs. Wan (; p. pr. & vb. n. Winning.]
Etymology: [OE. winnen, AS. winnan to strive, labor, fight, endure; akin to OFries. winna, OS. winnan, D. winnen to win, gain, G. gewinnen, OHG. winnan to strive, struggle, Icel. vinna to labor, suffer, win, Dan. vinde to win, Sw. vinna, Goth. winnan to suffer, Skr.van to wish, get, gain, conquer. sq. root138. Cf. Venerate, Winsome, Wish, Wont, a.]
1. To gain by superiority in competition or contest; to obtain by victory over competitors or rivals; as, to win the prize in a gate; to win money; to win a battle, or to win a country. "This city for to win." Chaucer. "Who thus shall Canaan win." Milton. Thy well-breathed horse Impels the flying car, and wins the course. Dryden.
2. To allure to kindness; to bring to compliance; to gain or obtain, as by solicitation or courtship. Thy virtue wan me; with virtue preserve me. Sir P. Sidney. She is a woman; therefore to be won. Shak.
3. To gain over to one's side or party; to obtain the favor, friendship, or support of; to render friendly or approving; as, to win an enemy; to win a jury.
4. To come to by toil or effort; to reach; to overtake. [Archaic] Even in the porch he him did win. Spenser. And when the stony path began, By which the naked peak they wan, Up flew the snowy ptarmigan. Sir W. Scott.
3 more senses
5. (Mining)
To extract, as ore or coal. Raymond.
Syn. -- To gain; get; procure; earn. See Gain.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Win, v. i.
To gain the victory; to be successful; to triumph; to prevail. Nor is it aught but just That he, who in debate of truth hath won, should win in arms. Milton. To win of, to be conqueror over. [Obs.] Shak. -- To win on or upon. (a) To gain favor or influence with. "You have a softness and beneficence winning on the hearts of others." Dryden. (b) To gain ground on. "The rabble . . . will in time win upon power." Shak.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for win; he lists it under allure, attain, conquer, get, succeed.
Where he writes about it:
Win may be used in either a bad or a good sense, in which latter it surpasses the highest sense of allure, because it succeeds in that which allure attempts; as, "He that winneth souls is wise," Prov. xi, 30. — from allure
Win denotes contest, with a suggestion of chance or hazard; in popular language, a person is often said to win a lawsuit, or to win in a suit at law, but in legal phrase he is said to gain his suit, case, or cause. — from get
To win implies that some one loses, but one may succeed where no one fails. — from succeed
Many students may succeed in study; a few win the special prizes, for which all compete. — from succeed