gain

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
gain/ɡeɪn/

▶verb

• 1 obtain or secure (something favourable).

  ■ benefit: managers would gain from greater openness.

• 2 reach or arrive at (a destination).

  ■ (gain on) come closer to (a person or thing pursued).

• 3 increase the amount or rate of (weight, speed, etc.).

  ■ increase in value.

  ■ (of a clock or watch) become fast by (a specific amount of time).

• 4 (gain in) increase in (a quality): canoeing is gaining in popularity.

▶noun

• 1 a thing that is gained.

• 2 an increase in wealth or resources.

• 3 the factor by which power or voltage is increased in an amplifier or other electronic device, usually expressed as a logarithm.

– derivatives
gainable adjective,
gainer noun.

– origin C15 (orig. in the sense ‘booty’): from OFr. gaigne (n.), gaignier (v.), of Gmc origin.