goby
[ goh-bee ]
/ ˈgoʊ bi /
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noun, plural (especially collectively) go·by, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) go·bies.
any small marine or freshwater fish of the family Gobiidae, often having the pelvic fins united to form a suctorial disk.
any fish of the closely related family Eleotridae, having the pelvic fins separate.
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Origin of goby
1760–70; <Latin gōbius gudgeon (spelling variant of gōbiō or cōbius) <Greek kōbiós
Other definitions for goby (2 of 2)
go-by
[ goh-bahy ]
/ ˈgoʊˌbaɪ /
noun Informal.
a going by without notice; an intentional passing by; snub: to give one the go-by.
Origin of go-by
First recorded in 1605–15; noun use of verb phrase go by
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use goby in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for goby (1 of 3)
goby
/ (ˈɡəʊbɪ) /
noun plural -by or -bies
any small spiny-finned fish of the family Gobiidae, of coastal or brackish waters, having a large head, an elongated tapering body, and the ventral fins modified as a sucker
any other gobioid fish
Word Origin for goby
C18: from Latin gōbius gudgeon, fish of little value, from Greek kōbios
British Dictionary definitions for goby (2 of 3)
go by
verb (intr)
to passthe cars went by; as the years go by we all get older; don't let those opportunities go by!
(preposition) to be guided byin the darkness we could only go by the stars
(preposition) to use as a basis for forming an opinion or judgmentit's wise not to go only by appearances
British Dictionary definitions for goby (3 of 3)
go-by
noun
slang a deliberate snub or slight (esp in the phrase give (a person) the go-by)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Other Idioms and Phrases with goby
go by
Elapse, pass, as in the popular song, “As Time Goes By” (by Herman Hupfeld, 1931), or He just went by our house. [c. 1600]
Ignore, fail to notice or take advantage of, as in You shouldn't let this opportunity go by. [Early 1500s] For the related go by the board, see by the board.
Rely on, believe, as in I'm going by the numbers on this list, or We'll have to go by what she tells us.
go by the name of. Be known by or use a specific name. For example, She continued to go by her maiden name, Mary Smith. [Late 1500s]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.