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

Examples of goby in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Due to their abundance and small sizes, these gobies are an important snack for many larger species of reef fishes. —Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025

And the tidewater gobies did go to a nearby aquarium. —Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2025

Verb

The teenager was on the Thames Ward, which is a psychiatric intensive care unit known as a PICU, at the hospital and CCTV footage played to the jury showed her in the television room with her support worker, a man who went by the name Ebo Achempong, in her final moments, Sky News reported. —Becca Longmire, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025

Colorado let the opening day of free agency go by before filling its most obvious hole July 2, although where the 40-year-old Burns fits, and how coach Jared Bednar will navigate having four right-handed shooters among his top-six defensemen, remains to be seen. —Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 15 Aug. 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 above

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