Winner

[f. WIN v.¹ + -ER¹.] One who or that which wins, in various senses.

  1.  One who gains something, esp. by effort or merit; spec. one who gets (a living) by labor, an earner (obs. or dial. exc. in BREAD-WINNER); † one who makes profit, as by trading; † one who ‘wins’ (corn), a harvester, reaper (fig.).

1352.  [see WASTER sb.¹ 1].

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, xxvii. (Machor), 860. Of goddis corne wynnare to be.

1393.  Langl., P. Pl., C. I. 222. Webbesters and walkers and wynners with handen.

c. 1456.  Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 235. Robberys now rewle ryȝtwysenesse, And wynnerys with her sothe sawe.

1483.  Cath. Angl., 420/1. A Wynner, lucrificus.

1523–34.  Fitzherb., Husb., § 36. He that byeth grosse sale, and retayleth, muste nedes be a wynner.

1556.  J. Heywood, Spider & F., lxxiii. 21. No flie therby winner, the worth of a straw.

1593.  Extr. Aberd. Reg. (1848), II. 85. Knawin … to be wynneris of thair leving be sum honest moyen.

1630.  R. N., trans. Camden’s Hist. Eliz., IV. 173. Whereas Religion is the greatest winner of mens affections.

1836.  Hor. Smith, Tin Trump., I. 257. The winner of a title generally deserves it.

1848.  Thackeray, Van. Fair, lxvii. The Major was disengaged too, and swore he would be the winner of her.

1876.  Sir C. Dilke, in Life (1917), I. xiii. 197. Holker … a great winner of verdicts from juries, was one of the dullest men.

1911.  ‘Geo. A. Birmingham,’ Lighter Side Irish Life, i. 6. A woman, a careless winner of the hearts of men.

  2.  One who is victorious in a contest; a victor; esp. one who wins a game, a race, a prize, etc.; spec. a horse, dog, etc., that wins a race; in games of skill, the ‘piece’ that is nearest to a certain point, a winning shot, etc.; in recent slang, a thing that scores a success.

1456.  Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 74. [If he] has tynt the bataill, tharfore he had the wrang, and the wynnar the rycht.

1546.  J. Heywood, Prov., I. x. (1867), 24. Be they wynners or loosers, Folke saie alwaie, beggers should be no choosers.

1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 156. The verie Romanis selfes, victorious winneris.

1596.  Shaks., Tam. Shr., V. ii. 187. ’Twas I wonne the wager, though you hit the white, And being a winner, God giue you good night. Ibid. (1598), Hen. V., III. vi. 120. When Lenitie and Crueltie play for a Kingdome, The gentler Gamester is the soonest winner. Ibid. (1611), Cymb., III. v. 15. Sir, the Euent Is yet to name the winner.

1667.  Leathermore: Advice conc. Gaming (1668), 10. It is not deny’d but most Gamesters have at one time or other a considerable run of winning, but (such is the infatuation of Play) I could never hear of the Man that gave over a winner, (I mean to give over, as never to play again).

1710.  Act 9 Anne, c. 19 § 2. It shall … be lawful … for any Person … to … recover the same [money],… with Costs … against such Winner.

1789.  D. Davidson, Seasons, 167. A leal shot ettled at the cock, Which shov’d the winner by.

1811.  Acc. Game Curling, 9. The stone nearest the tee … is called the winner.

1840.  Dickens, Old C. Shop, xxx. At length the play came to an end, and Mr. Isaac List rose the only winner.

1854.  Poultry Chron., I. 371. Winners of the First Prizes.

1859.  H. Kingsley, G. Hamlyn, xix. I’d ridden seven great winners before I was eighteen.

1874.  J. D. Heath, Croquet-Player, 83. It is … unfair to the winner, to tell him that he won only because you ‘had a bad mallet.’

1876.  Coursing Calendar, 19. In a scrambling course, run partly out of sight, the early points of Moonshine doubtless landed her the winner.

1913.  Play Pictorial, No. 131, p. iv/1. The Alhambra has also found a winner in its curiously named [‘revue’] ‘8d. a mile.’