Gainstander
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who stands in opposition to (a belief, cause, etc.); an opposer archaic
""[…] Formerly, it is said, they were leopards; but now they are become lions at all points, and must take precedence of beast, fish, or fowl, or woe worth the gainstander.""
Example
More examples""[…] Formerly, it is said, they were leopards; but now they are become lions at all points, and must take precedence of beast, fish, or fowl, or woe worth the gainstander.""
Etymology
From Middle English aȝenstondere, equivalent to gainstand + -er. Cognate with Scots gainstandar, ganstandar and againstandare (“resister, opposer, opponent”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.