win

win

[MIT; now common everywhere] 1. vi. To succeed. A program wins if no unexpected conditions arise, or (especially) if it is sufficiently robust to take exceptions in stride. 2. n. Success, or a specific instance thereof. A pleasing outcome. "So it turned out I could use a lexer generator instead of hand-coding my own pattern recognizer. What a win!" Emphatic forms: `moby win', `super win', `hyper-win' (often used interjectively as a reply). For some reason `suitable win' is also common at MIT, usually in reference to a satisfactory solution to a problem. Oppose lose; see also big win, which isn't quite just an intensification of `win'.

--The Jargon File version 4.3.1, ed. ESR, autonoded by rescdsk.

There are a number of different horse racing variants that are designed to "even" the field and find a winner at level stakes.

The two most popular methods are handicap and weight for age.

In a handicap event each horse is allocated a penalty weight according to their previous performances. Thus, theoretically, on previous form all horses should be racing at an even level.

The second variant, weight for age, allocates all horses a differnet penalty weight based upon their (the horses) age. This theory centres around the fact that horses peak in their abilities at a certain age. This age is open to interpretation and clearly changes by horse and distance. Many people think it is around 5yrs of age.

Nonetheless, many weight for age races historically bias three year old horses, supposedly at the peak of form over medium distance (1 mile for example).

win

A penny.

to win

To steal.

The cull has won a couple of rum glimsticks ; the fellow has stolen a pair of fine candlesticks.

The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.

Win (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Won (?), Obs. Wan (); p. pr. & vb. n. Winning.] [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. &root;138. 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.

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.

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.

5. Mining

To extract, as ore or coal.

Raymond.

Syn. -- To gain; get; procure; earn. See Gain.

© Webster 1913.

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 ∨ 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.

© Webster 1913.