Illustration of goby
plural gobies also goby
: any of numerous spiny-finned fishes (family Gobiidae) that usually have the pelvic fins united to form a ventral sucking disk
Examples of goby in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Sep. 2023
Advertisement Organizers of the triathlon did not receive confirmation of the tidewater goby’s presence in the Zuma Beach underpass until late August.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2023
But one fish, the bearded goby, is positively thriving in this inhospitable ecosystem.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 16 July 2010
But the presence of the tidewater goby meant the road could not be cleared nor a temporary ramp erected — at least before the triathlon.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2023
The round goby is a small, soft-bodied fish with a black spot on its dorsal fin.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2023
Coral Connections by Alex Mustard Two semi-transparent ghost gobies swim among the branches of a fan coral in the Lembeh Strait of Indonesia.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023
Additionally, unlike these natives, round gobies do not grow big enough to be desirable for commercial or recreational fishing.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2023
There are lots of aquatic fishes that use their fins in similar ways to the mud skippers on the land, says Gordon, like gobies, a group of more than 2,200 species of fishes to which mudskippers are related.
—Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 9 May 2023
Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Despite big promise s, years have gone by without cars that can, so far, drive on their own.
—Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Hardly a day goes by when Trump isn’t lashing out at migrants who come into the United States illegally.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
The victim, who went by Carlos, was in the driver’s seat of a black truck waiting to leave a parking lot on Northwest 35th Street at around 2 a.m. Nov. 18.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2024
The characters of Mary & George are unapologetically lusty, and so is the show itself: Hardly an hour goes by without at least a few shots of backs or buttocks writhing against sumptuous backdrops in various configurations.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024
Since that day, not a year has gone by without the rocker's fans, friends and loved ones sharing touching remembrances or musical memories on social media in his memory.
—Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
Just listen to how her wispy vocals insist on love in a way reminiscent of countdown-to-Y2K music by Aaliyah and Janet, her room-to-breathe productions shimmying and sauntering with a palette of pop sounds gone by.
—Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Three hours went by before the child was finally taken to Children's Wisconsin hospital.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2024
Noun
Before the water could be cleared, translucent two-inch fish called tidewater goby took up residence there.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Sep. 2023
Advertisement Organizers of the triathlon did not receive confirmation of the tidewater goby’s presence in the Zuma Beach underpass until late August.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2023
But one fish, the bearded goby, is positively thriving in this inhospitable ecosystem.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 16 July 2010
But the presence of the tidewater goby meant the road could not be cleared nor a temporary ramp erected — at least before the triathlon.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2023
The round goby is a small, soft-bodied fish with a black spot on its dorsal fin.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2023
Coral Connections by Alex Mustard Two semi-transparent ghost gobies swim among the branches of a fan coral in the Lembeh Strait of Indonesia.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023
Additionally, unlike these natives, round gobies do not grow big enough to be desirable for commercial or recreational fishing.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2023
There are lots of aquatic fishes that use their fins in similar ways to the mud skippers on the land, says Gordon, like gobies, a group of more than 2,200 species of fishes to which mudskippers are related.
—Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 9 May 2023
Verb
Even in the far reaches of the Minnesota Northwoods, the snow is mostly gone by late April, but the central Sierra Nevada typically retains snow into early June.
—Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Despite big promise s, years have gone by without cars that can, so far, drive on their own.
—Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Hardly a day goes by when Trump isn’t lashing out at migrants who come into the United States illegally.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
The victim, who went by Carlos, was in the driver’s seat of a black truck waiting to leave a parking lot on Northwest 35th Street at around 2 a.m. Nov. 18.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2024
The characters of Mary & George are unapologetically lusty, and so is the show itself: Hardly an hour goes by without at least a few shots of backs or buttocks writhing against sumptuous backdrops in various configurations.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024
Since that day, not a year has gone by without the rocker's fans, friends and loved ones sharing touching remembrances or musical memories on social media in his memory.
—Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
Just listen to how her wispy vocals insist on love in a way reminiscent of countdown-to-Y2K music by Aaliyah and Janet, her room-to-breathe productions shimmying and sauntering with a palette of pop sounds gone by.
—Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Three hours went by before the child was finally taken to Children's Wisconsin hospital.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'goby.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Latin gobius gudgeon, from Greek kōbios
Dictionary Entries Near goby
Cite this Entry
“Goby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goby. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
goby
noun
go·by
ˈgō-bē 
plural gobies also goby
: any of numerous spiny-finned fishes that often have the pelvic fins united to form a sucking disk
More from Merriam-Webster on goby
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about goby
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share