Main Entry: ¹go

Pronunciation: \ˈgō\

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): went \ˈwent\; gone \ˈgȯn also ˈgän\; go·ing \ˈgō-iŋ, ˈgȯ(-)iŋ; “going to” in sense 13 is often ˈgōə-nə or ˈgȯ-nə or ˈgə-nə\; goes \ˈgōz\

Etymology: Middle English gon, from Old English gān; akin to Old High German gān to go, Greek kichanein to reach, attain

Date: before 12th century

intransitive verb 1 : to move on a course : proceed <go slow> <went by train> — compare stop
2 : to move out of or away from a place expressed or implied : leave, depart <went from school to the party> <going away for vacation>
3 a : 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 verb <why did you go and spoil it> <go 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>
4 obsolete : walk
5 : to be habitually in a certain state or condition <go bareheaded>
6 a : 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 <these slums have 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>
7 a : 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>
8 a : to apply oneself <went to work on the problem> b : to put or subject oneself <went to unnecessary expense> c chiefly Southern & Midland : intend <I didn't go to do it>
9 : to have recourse to another for corroboration, vindication, or decision : resort <go to court to recover damages>
10 a : 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>
12 a : 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 infinitive <is going to leave town>
14 a : extend <his knowledge fails to go very deep> b : to come or arrive at a certain state or condition <go to sleep> c : to come to be : become <the tire went flat> —often used to express conversion to specified values or a specified state <gone Hollywood> <go condo> d : to undergo a change <leaves go from green to red>
15 a : 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>
17 a : 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>
19 a (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 bowelstransitive verb 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>
3 a : 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>
4 a : 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>
5 : yield, weigh <this fish goes ten pounds>
6 a : to put up with : tolerate <couldn't go the noise> b : afford <can't go the price> c : enjoy <I could go a soda>
7 a : to cause (a characteristic sound) to occur <the gun went bang> b : say —used chiefly in oral narration of speech
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·er \ˈgō-ər\ noun

— go about : to set about

— go after : to try to get : seek

— go all the way 1 : to enter into complete agreement
2 : to engage in sexual intercourse

— go at 1 a : to make an attack on b : to make an approach to
2 : undertake

— go back on 1 : abandon
2 : betray
3 : fail

— go begging : to be in little demand

— go by the board 1 : to be carried over a ship's side
2 : to be discarded

— go easy : to be sparing <go easy with the sugar> <go easy on the kid>

— go fly a kite : to stop being an annoyance or disturbance <told him to go fly a kite>

— go for 1 : to pass for or serve as
2 : to try to secure or attain (as a goal) <go for the prize>
3 a : favor, accept <cannot go for your idea> b : to have an interest in or liking for <she went for him in a big way — Chandler Brossard>
4 : attack, assail <my dog went for the intruder>

— go for broke : to put forth all one's strength or resources

— go great guns : to achieve great success

— go hang : to cease to be of interest or concern

— go into : to be contained in <5 goes into 60 12 times>

— go it 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>

— go missing chiefly British : to become lost : disappear

— go one better : outdo, surpass

— go over 1 : examine
2 a : repeat b : study, review

— go places : to be on the way to success

— go public : to make a public disclosure

— go steady : to date one person exclusively and frequently

— go through 1 : to subject to thorough examination, consideration, or study
2 : experience, undergo <had to go through quite an ordeal>
3 : carry out, perform <went through his work in a daze>

— go to bat for : to give active support or assistance to : defend, champion

— go to bed with : to have sexual intercourse with

— go to one's head 1 : to cause one to become confused, excited, or dizzy
2 : to cause one to become conceited or overconfident

— go to pieces : to become shattered (as in nerves or health)

— go to the mat : to make an all-out combative effort (as in support of a position)

— go to town 1 : to work or act rapidly or efficiently
2 : to be markedly successful
3 : to indulge oneself excessively

— go with 1 : date
2 : choose 2 <went with an iron off the tee>

— go without saying : to be self-evident

— go with the flow : conform 2b

— to go 1 : still remaining <ten minutes to go>
2 of prepared food : sold for consumption off the premises