Gain (lasers)
WordNet
noun
(1) The amount of increase in signal power or voltage or current expressed as the ratio of output to input
(2) The advantageous quality of being beneficial
(3) The amount by which the revenue of a business exceeds its cost of operating
(4) 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"
verb
(5) Increase (one's body weight)
"She gained 20 pounds when she stopped exercising"
(6) Increase in
"Gain momentum"
"Gain nerve"
(7) Rise in rate or price
"The stock market gained 24 points today"
(8) 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"
(9) 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"
(10) Win something through one's efforts
"I acquired a passing knowledge of Chinese"
"Gain an understanding of international finance"
(11) 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"
(12) Derive a benefit from
"She profited from his vast experience"
(13) Obtain
"Derive pleasure from one's garden"
WiktionaryText
Etymology
gain, gein "profit, advantage" from gagn "benefit, advantage, use" from . Akin to gagn "gain, advantage, use", gagn "benefit, profit", gavn "gain", gageigan "to gain", gegn "ready"; cf. gainen "to be of use, profit, avail", and gagna "to avail, help", gavne "to benefit".
The word was reinforced, and its frequency strengthened, due to similarity in form and meaning to an unrelated word gain "advancement, cultivation", with which it was confused. gain is a contraction of gaaing, a noun derivative of gaaignier "to till, earn, win", also of origin, but from a different root, waidanjan "to pasture, graze, hunt for food" from ; cf. weidanōn "to hunt, forage for food" ( Weide "pasture"), veiðr "hunting", "hunting, chase, pursuit".
Noun
- The act of gaining.
- What one gains, as a return on investment or dividend.
- No pain, no gain.
- The factor by which a signal is multiplied.
Verb
- : To acquire possession of what one did not have before.
- : To increase.
- : To be more likely to catch or overtake an individual.