gain-

See also: gain and ga in

English

Alternative forms

• gane- (Scotland)

Etymology

From Middle English gain- (prefix), from Old English geġn-, gēan- (“back, against, in return”, prefix), from Proto-West Germanic *gagin, from Proto-Germanic *gagin (“towards, against”).

Cognate with Saterland Frisian juun- (“counter-”), West Frisian tsjin- (“counter-”), Dutch tegen- (“counter-”), German gegen- (“against, toward, at”), Icelandic gagn- (“through”). More at again.

Prefix

gain-

1. Prefix meaning "against", "contrary to", "in opposition to", "counter-".

   gainsay, gainstand, gainstay, gainstrive

2. Prefix denoting reciprocal action; "in return"; "counter-".

   gainclap, gaingive, gainyield

3. Prefix denoting restoration or a return to a previous state; "back again".

   gainbuy, gaincover, gaintake

4. Prefix denoting repetition; "over again"; "anew"; again-.

   gainrising, gaincoming

Derived terms

English terms prefixed with gain-

• gainbite
• gaincome
• gaincope
• gaindo
• gaingiving
• gainsay
• gainstand
• gainstrive
• gaintwist

Anagrams

• Agin, Agni, Angi, Gina, NGIA, Nagi, Ngai, a- -ing, ag'in, agin, gina, inga