goby

noun go·by \ ˈgō-bē \

Definition 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

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Lionfish are adept hunters of gobies, which are small, schooling fish that tend to hover near rocks and the seabed, making them easy to herd and corner.

— Fox News, "'Twilight Zone' Horror Story: Lionfish Prey on Unknown Fish Species," 6 June 2017
The warm water sped up the metabolism of the gobies, making them hungrier.

— carl zimmer, New York Times, "To Simulate Climate Change, Scientists Build Miniature Worlds," 11 May 2017
Breaching the lagoon could sweep the gobies out to sea, threatening their chance of survival.

— teresa l. carey, The Mercury News, "Santa Cruz, scientists, Boardwalk battle forces of nature," 24 Jan. 2017
There are about 1,800 species of marine aquarium fish in the trade, and breeders have only managed to successfully raise a few of those, including several types of clownfish and gobies.

— National Geographic, "The Horrific Way Fish Are Caught for Your Aquarium—With Cyanide," 10 Mar. 2016
The fish that are likely to thrive in the oceans of the future—small, adaptable species such as gobies and blennies—are, simply, not fish people like to eat.

— lizzie wade, WIRED, "Climate Change Means One World’s Death and Another’s Birth," 1 Sep. 2015

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'goby.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Origin and Etymology of goby

Latin gobius gudgeon, from Greek kōbios

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First Known Use: 1769

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intransitive verb

:pass 3b

as time goes by

First Known Use of go by

1508

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