Meaning

verb to gain with effort

verb reach a point in time, or a certain state or level

verb find unexpectedly

originThe verb is derived from Middle English atteinen, atteynen (“to achieve, attain; to be adequate or sufficient; to affect; to come or get to (a place), reach; to corrupt, taint; to overcome, overpower; to overtake; to succeed; to tamper with; (law) to bring to justice, punish”), from ataign-, a stem of Anglo-Norman ataindre, and Old French ataindre, attaindre (“to reach”) (modern French…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0