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Definition of go
(Entry 1 of 4)
b : to travel to a place goes to the office every morning went to the gas station before heading home
c : to travel to and stay in a place for a period of time went to Paris for a month plan to go to their beach house for the summer
3a : to take a certain course or follow a certain procedure reports go through channels to the president
b : to pass by means of a process like journeying the message went by wire
c : to proceed without delay and often in a thoughtless or reckless manner —used especially to intensify a complementary verbwhy did you go and spoil itgo jump in a lake
d(1) : to extend from point to point or in a certain direction the road goes to the lake
(2) : to give access : lead that door goes to the cellar
5 : to be habitually in a certain state or condition go bareheaded
6a : to become lost, consumed, or spent our time has gone
b : die
c : to slip away : elapse the evening went quickly
d : to come to be given up or discarded this clutter has to go
e : to pass by sale went for a good price
f : to become impaired or weakened his hearing started to go
g : to give way especially under great force or pressure : break the roof went
7a : to move along in a specified manner : fare everything was going well
b : to be in general or on an average cheap, as yachts go
c : to be or become especially as the result of a contest the election went in her favor
d : to turn out well : succeed worked hard to make the party go
8a : to apply oneself went to work on the problem
b : to put or subject oneself went to unnecessary expense
9a : to have recourse to another for corroboration, vindication, or decision : resort go to court to recover damages
b : to be guided, governed, or regulated We were just going by what we'd been told. The police tried to locate the culprit, but they didn't have much to go on. : to act in agreement or cooperation … the echo of my girlfriend's voice comes into my head, saying, "Whatever happens, just go with it."— Jason Schwartzman
10a : to begin an action or motion here goes
b : to maintain or perform a certain action or motion still going strong
c : to function in the proper or expected manner : run the motor won't go
11 : to be known goes by an alias
12a : to act in accordance or harmony a good rule to go by
b : to come to be determined dreams go by contraries
c : to come to be applied or appropriated all proceeds go to charity
d : to pass by award, assignment, or lot the prize went to a sophomore
e(1) : to contribute to an end or result qualities that go to make a hero
(2) : to be of advantage has a lot going for her
13 : to be about, intending, or expecting something —used in a progressive tense before an infinitiveis going to leave town
14a : extend his knowledge fails to go very deep
b : to come or arrive at a certain state or condition go to sleep " … I finally went to pieces and couldn't stop crying for two hours. … "— Gwendoline Christie — see also go into sense 2 (below)
c : to come to be : become the tire went flat —often used to express conversion to specified values or a specified stategone Hollywoodgo condo
d : to undergo a change leaves go from green to red
15a : to be in phrasing or expression : read as the story goes
b : to be capable of being sung or played the tune goes like this
16 : to be compatible, suitable, or becoming : harmonize the tie goes with his suit
17a : to be capable of passing, extending, or being contained or inserted will these clothes go in your suitcase
b : to have a usual or proper place or position : belong these books go on the top shelf
18 : to have a tendency : conduce it goes to show
19a(1) : to carry authority what she said went
(2) : to be acceptable, satisfactory, or adequate anything goes here
b : to hold true : be valid the rule goes for you, too
20 : to empty the bladder or bowels
1 : to proceed along or according to : follow if I were going his way went the conventional route
2 : to travel through or along : traverse went the length of the street
3a : to make a wager of : bet go a dollar on the outcome
b : to make an offer of : bid willing to go $50 for the clock
4a : to assume the function or obligation of promised to go bail for his friend
b : to participate to the extent of decided to go halves on the winnings
6a : to put up with : tolerate couldn't go the noise
b : afford can't go the price
c : enjoy I could go a soda
7a : to cause (a characteristic sound) to occur the gun went bang
b : say —used chiefly in oral narration of speech… I started trying to write a novel. I spent about six months on it. And at a certain point I go, "You know, I don't want to finish this. …"— Quentin Tarantino
8 : to engage in don't go telling everyone
9 of a sports team or player : to have a record of went 11–0 last season
go about go after go all the way go at go back on go begging go by the board go easy go fly a kite go for go for broke go great guns go hang go into go it go missing go one better go over go places go public go steady go through go to bat for go to bed with go to one's head go to pieces go to the mat go to town go with go without saying go with the flow to go
: to set about : to begin to do
: to try to get : seek
1 : to enter into complete agreement
2 : to engage in sexual intercourse
1a : to make an attack on
b : to make an approach to went at the problem from different angles
2 : undertake
1 : abandon She went back on her word.
2 : betray
3 : fail was afraid that his mind might go back on him
: to be in little demand
1 : to be carried over a ship's side
2 : to be discarded Budget cuts meant that some projects had to go by the board.
: to be sparing go easy with the sugar go easy on the kid
: to stop being an annoyance or disturbance told him to go fly a kite
1 : to pass for or serve as Silvered glass once went for mirrors.
2 : to try to secure or attain (something, such as a goal) go for the prize
b : to have an interest in or liking for She went for him in a big way— Chandler Brossard
: to put forth all one's strength or resources went for broke to qualify for the Olympics
: to achieve great success The movie was going great guns worldwide.
: to cease to be of interest or concern
1 : to be contained in (something) 5 goes into 60 12 times
2a : to begin to be in (a specified state or condition) The fugitive went into hiding. "Scott went into a tizzy," she said.— Lucinda Franks I went into a deep funk over the nasty things I've written …— P. J. O'Rourke Her body began jerking violently, and she went into a coma.— Patrick Rogers et al. Seven months later Wall Street crashed and the economy went into freefall.— Bill Bryson
b : to begin (a specified kind of movement) The plane went into a tailspin. … the car hit a patch of ice and went into a skid …— Ron Fimrite
3 : to enter (something) as a profession or occupation She decided to go into law/medicine. He went into business for himself.
4 : to subject (something) to examination or discussion The auditors went into every aspect of the company's operations. I'll explain later—I don't have the time to go into it right now. She told me briefly what had happened, but didn't go into too much detail.
1 : to behave in a reckless, excited, or impromptu manner
2 : to proceed in a rapid or furious manner
3 : to conduct one's affairs : act insists on going it alone
chiefly British : to become lost : disappear
1 : examine went over the test results
: to be on the way to success
: to make a public disclosure
: to date one person exclusively and frequently
1 : to subject to thorough examination, consideration, or study went through the list of items one by one
2 : experience, undergo had to go through quite an ordeal
: to have sexual intercourse with
1 : to cause one to become confused, excited, or dizzy The wine went to his head.
2 : to cause one to become conceited or overconfident Fame went to her head.
: to become shattered (as in nerves or health)
: to make an all-out combative effort (as in support of a position)
1 : to work or act rapidly or efficiently They went to town on decorating the building.
2 : to be markedly successful The team really went to town, winning 14–0.
3 : to indulge oneself excessively He went to town on a big platter of beef and potatoes.
1 : date
2 : choose sense 2 went with an iron off the tee
: to be self-evident
1 : still remaining ten minutes to go
2 of prepared food : sold for consumption off the premises
go
noun (1) plural goes
Definition of go (Entry 2 of 4)
1 : the act or manner of going
2 : the height of fashion : rage elegant shawls labeled … "quite the go"— R. S. Surtees
3 : an often unexpected turn of affairs : occurrence
4 : the quantity used or furnished at one time you can obtain a go of brandy for sixpence— C. B. Fairbanks
7 : a spell of activity finished the job at one go
8 : success made a go of the business
9 : permission to proceed : go-ahead gave the astronauts a go for another orbit
no go on the go
: to no avail : useless Attempts to get the computer running have been no go.
: constantly or restlessly active a housewife and mother who's always on the go
go
adjectiveDefinition of go (Entry 3 of 4)
: functioning properly : being in good and ready condition declared all systems go
Definition of go (Entry 4 of 4)
: a game played between two players who alternately place black and white stones on a board checkered by 19 vertical lines and 19 horizontal lines in an attempt to enclose the larger area on the board
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Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
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Time Traveler for go
The first known use of go was before the 12th century
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