wins

1. 1
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of win.

   The home team wins more often when it plays at night.

   A swimmer who wins three heats qualifies for the final.

   Note

   The form that pairs with he, she, it or a singular noun, and it carries every construction of the verb. A team wins a match, a runner wins a medal, a candidate wins voters over, a traveler wins through to safety, or someone simply wins. The pattern with over is the persuading sense. The pattern with through or home keeps the old idea of reaching a goal despite toil.

2. 2
   noun

   Plural of win.

   The franchise recorded its most wins in a single season last year.

   A string of early wins boosted the players' confidence.

   Note

   Only the countable side of win takes this plural: the single victory, tallied up in season records, or the slang feat pulled off successfully, as in a run of small wins. The other noun uses, such as gain, wealth and the Scottish sense of joy, name amounts rather than events, so they sit awkwardly in the plural. The same spelling also serves as the present-tense verb, as in she wins.

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