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 verb why 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 infinitive is 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 state gone 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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Time Traveler for go
The first known use of go was before the 12th century
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