Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "contestant" shine mutumin da ya shiga gasa ko takara. Ana amfani da wannan kalmar sau da yawa don yin nuni ga wanda ya fafata da wasu a wasa, wasanni, nunin ƙwazo, ko kowane irin taron inda alkalai ke tantance wanda ya yi nasara ko kuma ta wata hanyar tantancewa. Masu gasa na iya zama daidaikun mutane ko ƙungiyoyi, kuma za su iya yin gasa don kyauta ko kuma kawai don gamsuwar shiga. Kalmar "contestant" ta samo asali ne daga kalmar Latin "contestari," wanda ke nufin "yi kira ga shaida."