gainer
UK[ˈɡeɪnə]US[ˈɡeɪnər]
n
a person or thing that gains or acquires something, especially profit or advantage.
n
a dive or somersault in which the body rotates backward from a forward takeoff, or forward from a backward takeoff.
Morpheme Breakdown
gain
er
gain
to obtain
er
one who does
Etymology
the word 'gainer' is a transparent english formation, combining the verb 'gain' with the agentive suffix '-er'. the core verb 'gain' entered middle english from old norse 'gagn', meaning advantage or benefit, which itself is related to old english 'gēgnian', meaning to go against or meet. the '-er' suffix is a prolific germanic agent-noun formative, used to denote a person or thing performing an action. thus, the literal composition "one who gains" directly yields its primary modern meaning. its specialized acrobatic sense, a dive where one 'gains' a rotation, is a later metaphorical extension based on the concept of acquiring or adding motion.
Analysis
Structure: gain (to obtain) + er (one who does)
gain (from middle english 'gaynen', meaning to profit or benefit, of old norse origin) + er (agent noun suffix, from old english '-ere', of germanic origin)
Examples
the company was the biggest gainer in the stock market rally.
he performed a flawless backward gainer off the high diving board.
in any negotiation, she always aims to be the gainer, not the loser.