† gaincopev.
Obsolete.figurative.1602 S. Rowlands Greenes Ghost 26 When they see a fellow leape from the subiect he is handling..they should skip it ouer, and ..gainecope him at the next turning point to his text.1640 J. Robotham in tr. Janua Linguarum Reserata (ed. 5) To Rdr. sig. A5 Some indeed there have bin..who striving to gaincope these ambages..have..made their voyage in halfe the time.
transitive. To catch up with, intercept or encounter another person by taking a short cut.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > rate of motion > move at specific rate [verb (transitive)] > gain (ground) upon > catch up or overtake
betakea1000
oftakelOE
overtakec1225
ofgoc1300
under-get1390
attain1393
overget?a1400
overgoc1425
gaincopec1440
overhiec1440
overhalec1540
overcatch1570
overhent1590
win1596
to grow on or upon1603
catcha1616
to fetch up1622
to fetch of, upon1659
overhaul1793
to meet up with1837
to catch up1838
to get past1857
c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 189/2 Geynecowpyn, or chasyn, or stoppyn in gate [King's Cambr. geynstoppyn of gate, Winch. geyne cowpyn or charyn], sisto.
1565 A. Golding tr. Ovid Fyrst Fower Bks. Metamorphosis iii. f. 4 This came forthe later than the rest, but coastyng thwart a hyll They did gaynecope him as he came, and held theyr Maister still.
1691 J. Ray S. & E. Country Words in Coll. Eng. Words (ed. 2) 99 To Gaincope, to go cross a Field the nearest way, to meet with something.
1702 R. L'Estrange tr. Josephus Wars of Jews ii. ii, in Wks. 810 As he was upon his Flight a-cross a Steep Bottom, Gratus Gain-cop'd him.
Derivatives
ΚΠ
1594 T. Nashe Terrors of Night Ep. Ded. How to be gainfull and gain-coping nauigators.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
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