goby

1 of 2

noun

go·​by ˈgō-bē 

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

Illustration of goby

go by

2 of 2

verb

went by; gone by; going by; goes by

intransitive verb

: pass sense 3b

as time goes by

transitive verb

1

a

: to be guided or directed by : act in accordance with

going by the rules

went by what we'd been told

b

: to form an opinion from

You can't go by appearances.

2

: to be known by (a name)

goes by her birth name

goes by an alias

3

: to go (somewhere) especially to see someone

I went by your house yesterday.

Examples of goby in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Today, the Erie Canal remains vulnerable to invasive plants, such as water chestnut and hydrilla, and invasive animals such as round goby. —Christine Keiner, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025

Researchers said the single specimen may represent a new cryptic species of Ward’s sleeper goby. —Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025

Verb

The summer break isn’t a true break any longer — a good summer these days is one that goes by without a major global crisis. —Jenny Johnson, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2025

The 26-year-old Australian, who goes by Pyjama Man on Instagram, often posts on social media about getting close to celebrities at events and premieres. —Ellise Shafer, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin gobius gudgeon, from Greek kōbios

First Known Use

Noun

1769, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1508, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

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