Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - win

 I. verb  (won; ~ning)  Etymology: Middle English ~nen, from Old English ~nan to struggle; akin to Old High German ~nan to struggle and probably to Latin venus sexual desire, charm, Sanskrit vanas desire, vanoti he strives for  Date: before 12th century  transitive verb  1.  a. to get possession of by effort or fortune  b. to obtain by work ; earn striving to ~ a living from the sterile soil  2.  a. to gain in or as if in battle or contest won the championship  b. to be the victor in won the war  3.  a. to make friendly or favorable to oneself or to one's cause — often used with over won him over with persuasive arguments  b. to induce to accept oneself in marriage was unable to ~ the woman he loved  4.  a. to obtain (as ore, coal, or clay) by mining  b. to prepare (as a vein or bed) for regular mining  c. to recover (as metal) from ore  5. to reach by expenditure of effort  intransitive verb  1. to gain the victory in a contest ; succeed  2. to succeed in arriving at a place or a state  • ~less adjective  • ~nable adjective  II. noun  Date: 1862 victory; especially first place at the finish (as of a horse race)