Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Go

Go

(gō)
,
obs.
p.
p.
of
Go
.
Gone.
Chaucer.

Go

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp.
Went
(wĕnt)
;
p. p.
Gone
(gŏn; 115)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Going
. Went comes from the AS, wendan. See
Wend
,
v. i.
]
[OE.
gan
,
gon
, AS.
gān
, akin to D.
gaan
, G.
gehn
,
gehen
, OHG.
gēn
,
gān
, SW.
gå
, Dan.
gaae
; cf. Gr.
κιχάναι
to reach, overtake, Skr.
hā
to go, AS.
gangan
, and E.
gang
. The past tense in AS.,
eode
, is from the root
i
to go, as is also Goth.
iddja
went. √47a. Cf.
Gang
,
Verb.
I.
,
Wend
.]
1.
To pass from one place to another; to be in motion; to be in a state not motionless or at rest; to proceed; to advance; to make progress; – used, in various applications, of the movement of both animate and inanimate beings, by whatever means, and also of the movements of the mind; also figuratively applied.
2.
To move upon the feet, or step by step; to walk; also, to walk step by step, or leisurely.
☞ In old writers go is much used as opposed to run, or ride. “Whereso I go or ride.”
Chaucer.

You know that love
Will creep in service where it can not
go
.
Shakespeare
Thou must run to him; for thou hast staid so long that
going
will scarce serve the turn.
Shakespeare
He fell from running to
going
, and from
going
to clambering upon his hands and his knees.
Bunyan.
☞ In Chaucer go is used frequently with the pronoun in the objective used reflexively; as, he goeth him home.
3.
To be passed on fron one to another; to pass; to circulate; hence, with for, to have currency; to be taken, accepted, or regarded.
The man
went
among men for an old man in the days of Saul.
1 Sa. xvii. 12.
[The money] should
go
according to its true value.
Locke.
4.
To proceed or happen in a given manner; to fare; to move on or be carried on; to have course; to come to an issue or result; to succeed; to turn out.
How
goes
the night, boy ?
Shakespeare
I think, as the world
goes
, he was a good sort of man enough.
Arbuthnot.
Whether the cause
goes
for me or against me, you must pay me the reward.
I Watts.
5.
To proceed or tend toward a result, consequence, or product; to tend; to conduce; to be an ingredient; to avail; to apply; to contribute; – often with the infinitive;
as, this
goes
to show
.
Against right reason all your counsels
go
.
Dryden.
To master the foul flend there
goeth
some complement knowledge of theology.
Sir W. Scott.
6.
To apply one’s self; to set one's self; to undertake.
Seeing himself confronted by so many, like a resolute orator, he
went
not to denial, but to justify his cruel falsehood.
Sir P. Sidney.
☞ Go, in this sense, is often used in the present participle with the auxiliary verb to be, before an infinitive, to express a future of intention, or to denote design; as, I was going to say; I am going to begin harvest.
7.
To proceed by a mental operation; to pass in mind or by an act of the memory or imagination; – generally with over or through.
By
going
over all these particulars, you may receive some tolerable satisfaction about this great subject.
South.
8.
To be with young; to be pregnant; to gestate.
The fruit she
goes
with,
I pray for heartily, that it may find
Good time, and live.
Shakespeare
9.
To move from the person speaking, or from the point whence the action is contemplated; to pass away; to leave; to depart; – in opposition to stay and come.
I will let you
go
, that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God; . . . only ye shall not
go
very far away.
Ex. viii. 28.
10.
To pass away; to depart forever; to be lost or ruined; to perish; to decline; to decease; to die.
By Saint George, he's
gone
!
That spear wound hath our master sped.
Sir W. Scott.
11.
To reach; to extend; to lead;
as, a line
goes
across the street; his land
goes
to the river; this road
goes
to New York.
His amorous expressions
go
no further than virtue may allow.
Dryden.
12.
To have recourse; to resort;
as, to
go
to law
.
☞ Go is used, in combination with many prepositions and adverbs, to denote motion of the kind indicated by the preposition or adverb, in which, and not in the verb, lies the principal force of the expression; as, to go against to go into, to go out, to go aside, to go astray, etc.
Go to
,
come; move; go away; – a phrase of exclamation, serious or ironical.
–
To go a-begging
,
not to be in demand; to be undesired.
–
To go about
.
(a)
To set about; to enter upon a scheme of action; to undertake.
“They went about to slay him.”
Acts ix. 29.

(b)
(Naut.)
To tack; to turn the head of a ship; to wear.
–
To go abraod
.
(a)
To go to a foreign country.
(b)
To go out of doors.
(c)
To become public; to be published or disclosed; to be current.
–
To go against
.
(a)
To march against; to attack.
(b)
To be in opposition to; to be disagreeable to.
–
To go ahead
.
(a)
To go in advance.
(b)
To go on; to make progress; to proceed.
–
To go and come
.
See
To come and go
, under
Come
.
–
To go aside
.
(a)
To withdraw; to retire.
(b)
To go from what is right; to err.
Num. v. 29.
–
To go back on
.
(a)
To retrace (one's path or footsteps).
(b)
To abandon; to turn against; to betray.
[Slang, U. S.]
–
To go below
(Naut)
,
to go below deck.
–
To go between
,
to interpose or mediate between; to be a secret agent between parties; in a bad sense, to pander.
–
To go beyond
.
See under
Beyond
.
–
To go by
,
to pass away unnoticed; to omit.
–
To go by the board
(Naut.)
,
to fall or be carried overboard; as, the mast went by the board.
–
To go down
.
(a)
To descend.
(b)
To go below the horizon; as, the sun has gone down.
(c)
To sink; to founder; – said of ships, etc.
(d)
To be swallowed; – used literally or figuratively.
[Colloq.]
–
To go far
.
(a)
To go to a distance.
(b)
To have much weight or influence.
–
To go for
.
(a)
To go in quest of.
(b)
To represent; to pass for.
(c)
To favor; to advocate.
(d)
To attack; to assault.
[Low]
(e)
To sell for; to be parted with for (a price).
–
To go for nothing
,
to be parted with for no compensation or result; to have no value, efficacy, or influence; to count for nothing.
–
To go forth
.
(a)
To depart from a place.
(b)
To be divulged or made generally known; to emanate.
–
To go hard with
,
to trouble, pain, or endanger.
–
To go in
,
to engage in; to take part.
[Colloq.]
–
To go in and out
,
to do the business of life; to live; to have free access.
John x. 9.
–
To go in for
.
[Colloq.]
(a)
To go for; to favor or advocate (a candidate, a measure, etc.).
(b)
To seek to acquire or attain to (wealth, honor, preferment, etc.)
(c)
To complete for (a reward, election, etc.).
(d)
To make the object of one's labors, studies, etc.
–
To go in to
or
To go in unto
.
(a)
To enter the presence of.
Esther iv. 16.
(b)
To have sexual intercourse with.
[Script.]
–
To go into
.
(a)
To speak of, investigate, or discuss (a question, subject, etc.).
(b)
To participate in (a war, a business, etc.).
–
To go large
.
(Naut)
See under
Large
.
–
To go off
.
(a)
To go away; to depart.
(b)
To cease; to intermit; as, this sickness went off.
(c)
To die.
Shak.
(d)
To explode or be discharged; – said of gunpowder, of a gun, a mine, etc.
(e)
To find a purchaser; to be sold or disposed of.
(f)
To pass off; to take place; to be accomplished.
–
To go on
.
(a)
To proceed; to advance further; to continue; as, to go on reading.
(b)
To be put or drawn on; to fit over; as, the coat will not go on.
–
To go all fours
,
to correspond exactly, point for point.
–
To go out
.
(a)
To issue forth from a place.
(b)
To go abroad; to make an excursion or expedition.
There are other men fitter
to go out
than I.
Shakespeare
(c)
To become diffused, divulged, or spread abroad, as news, fame etc.
(d)
To expire; to die; to cease; to come to an end; as, the light has gone out.
–
To go over
.
(a)
To traverse; to cross, as a river, boundary, etc.; to change sides.
I must not
go over
Jordan.
Deut. iv. 22.
Let me
go over
, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan.
Deut. iii. 25.
(b)
To read, or study; to examine; to review; as, to go over one's accounts.
(c)
To transcend; to surpass.
(d)
To be postponed; as, the bill went over for the session.
(e)
(Chem.)
To be converted (into a specified substance or material); as, monoclinic sulphur goes over into orthorhombic, by standing; sucrose goes over into dextrose and levulose.
–
To go through
.
(a)
To accomplish; as, to go through a work.
(b)
To suffer; to endure to the end; as, to go through a surgical operation or a tedious illness.
(c)
To spend completely; to exhaust, as a fortune.
(d)
To strip or despoil (one) of his property.
[Slang]
(e)
To botch or bungle a business.
[Scot.]
–
To go through with
,
to perform, as a calculation, to the end; to complete.
–
To go to ground
.
(a)
To escape into a hole; – said of a hunted fox.
(b)
To fall in battle.
–
To go to naught
(
Colloq
.),
to prove abortive, or unavailling.
–
To go under
.
(a)
To set; – said of the sun.
(b)
To be known or recognized by (a name, title, etc.
).
(c)
To be overwhelmed, submerged, or defeated; to perish; to succumb.
–
To go up
,
to come to nothing; to prove abortive; to fail.
[Slang]
–
To go upon
,
to act upon, as a foundation or hypothesis.
–
To go with
.
(a)
To accompany.
(b)
To coincide or agree with.
(c)
To suit; to harmonize with.
–
To go well with
,
To go ill with
,
To go hard with
,
to affect (one) in such manner.
–
To go without
,
to be, or to remain, destitute of.
–
To go wrong
.
(a)
To take a wrong road or direction; to wander or stray.
(b)
To depart from virtue.
(c)
To happen unfortunately; to unexpectedly cause a mishap or failure.
(d)
To miss success; to fail.
–
To let go
,
to allow to depart; to quit one's hold; to release.

Go

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To take, as a share in an enterprise; to undertake or become responsible for; to bear a part in.
They to
go
equal shares in the booty.
L'Estrange.
2.
To bet or wager;
as, I'll
go
you a shilling
.
[Colloq.]
To go halves
,
to share with another equally.
–
To go it
,
to behave in a wild manner; to be uproarious; to carry on; also, to proceed; to make progress.
[Colloq.]
–
To go it alone
(Card Playing)
,
to play a hand without the assistance of one's partner.
–
To go it blind
.
(a)
To act in a rash, reckless, or headlong manner.
[Slang]
(b)
(Card Playing)
To bet without having examined the cards.
–
To go one's way
,
to set forth; to depart.

Go

,
Noun.
1.
Act; working; operation.
[Obs.]
So gracious were the
goes
of marriage.
Marston.
2.
A circumstance or occurrence; an incident.
[Slang]
This is a pretty
go
.
Dickens.
3.
The fashion or mode;
as, quite the
go
.
[Colloq.]
4.
Noisy merriment;
as, a high
go
.
[Colloq.]
5.
A glass of spirits.
[Slang]
6.
Power of going or doing; energy; vitality; perseverance; push;
as, there is no
go
in him
.
[Colloq.]
7.
(Cribbage)
That condition in the course of the game when a player can not lay down a card which will not carry the aggregate count above thirty-one.
Great go
,
Little go
,
the final and the preliminary examinations for a degree.
[Slang, Eng. Univ.]
–
No go
,
a failure; a fiasco.
[Slang]
Thackeray.
–
On the go
,
moving about; unsettled.
[Colloq.]

Webster 1828 Edition

Go

GO

,
Verb.
I.
pret. went; pp. gone.
1.
In a general sense, to move; to pass; to proceed from one place, state or station to another; opposed to resting. A mill goes by water or by steam; a ship goes at the rate of five knots an hour; a clock goes fast or slow; a horse goes lame; a fowl or a ball goes with velocity through the air.
The mourners go about the streets. Eccles.12.
2.
To walk; to move on the feet or step by step. The child begins to go alone at a year old.
You know that love
Will creep in service where it cannot go.
3.
To walk leisurely; not to run.
Thou must run to him; for thou hast staid so long that going will scarce serve the turn.
4.
To travel; to journey by land or water. I must go to Boston. He has gone to Philadelphia. The minister is going to France.
5.
To depart; to move from a place; opposed to come. The mail goes and comes every day, or twice a week.
I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice. Ex.8.
6.
To proceed; to pass.
And so the jest goes round.
7.
To move; to pass in any manner or to any end; as, to go to bed; to go to dinner; to go to war.
8.
To move or pass customarily from place to place, denoting custom or practice. The child goes to school. A ship goes regularly to London. We go to church.
9.
To proceed from one state or opinion to another; to change. He goes from one opinion to another. His estate is going to ruin.
10. To proceed in mental operations; to advance; to penetrate. We can go but a very little way in developing the causes of things.
11. To proceed or advance in accomplishing an end. This sun will not go far towards full payment of the debt.
12. To apply; to be applicable. The argument goes to this point only; it goes to prove too much.
13. To apply one's self.
Seeing himself confronted by so many, like a resolute orator, he went not to denial, but to justify his cruel falsehood.
14. To have recourse to; as, to go to law.
15. To be about to do; as, I was going to say. I am going to begin harvest. [This use is chiefly confined to the participle.]
16. To pass; to be accounted in value. All this goes for nothing. This coin goes for a crown.
17. To circulate; to pass in report. The story goes.
18. To pass; to be received; to be accounted or understood to be.
And the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. 1 Sam.17.
19. To move, or be in motion; as a machine. [See No.1.]
20. To move as fluid; to flow.
The god I am, whose yellow water flows
Around these fields, and fattens as it goes,
Tiber my name.
21. To have a tendency.
Against right reason all your counsels go.
22. To be in compact or partnership.
They were to go equal shares in the booty.
23. To be guided or regulated; to proceed by some principle or rule. We are to go by the rules of law, or according to the precepts of scripture.
We are to go by another measure.
24. To be pregnant. The females of different animals go some a longer, some a shorter time.
25. To pass; to be alienated in payment or exchange. If our exports are of less value than our imports, our money must go to pay the balance.
26. To be loosed or released; to be freed from restraint. Let me go; let go the hand.
27. To be expended. His estate goes or has gone for spirituous liquors. [See No. 24.]
28. To extend; to reach. The line goes from one end to the other. His land goes to the bank of the Hudson.
29. to extend or lead in any direction. This road goes to Albany.
30. To proceed; to extend. This argument goes far towards proving the point. It goes a great way towards establishing the innocence of the accused.
31. To have effect; to extend in effect; to avail; to be of force or value. Money goes farther now than it did during the war.
32. To extend in meaning or purport.
His amorous expressions go no further than virtue may allow.
[In the three last examples, the sense of go depends on far, farther, further.]
33. To have a currency or use, as custom, opinion or manners.
I think, as the world goes,he was a good sort of man enough.
34. To contribute; to conduce; to concur; to be an ingredient; with to or into. The substances which go into this composition. Many qualifications go to make up the well bred man.
35. To proceed; to be carried on. The business goes on well.
36. To proceed to final issue; to terminate; to succeed.
Whether the cause goes for me or against me, you must pay me the reward.
37. To proceed in a train, or in consequences.
How goes the night, boy?
38. To fare; to be in a good or ill state.
How goes it, comrade?
39. To have a tendency or effect; to operate.
These cases go to show that the court will vary the construction of instruments.
To go about, to set one's self to a business; to attempt; to endeavor.
They never go about to hide or palliate their vices.
1.
In seamen's language, to tack; to turn the head of a ship.
To go abroad, to walk out of a house.
1.
To be uttered, disclosed or published.
To go against, to invade; to march to attack.
1.
To be in opposition; to be disagreeable.
To go aside, to withdraw; to retire into a private situation.
1.
To err; to deviate from the right way.
To go astray, to wander; to break from an inclosure; also, to leave the right course; to depart from law or rule; to sin; to transgress.
To go away, to depart; to go to a distance.
To go between, to interpose; to mediate; to attempt to reconcile or to adjust differences.
To go by, to pass near and beyond.
1.
To pass away unnoticed; to omit.
2.
To fine or get in the conclusion.
In argument with men, a woman ever
Goes by the worse, whatever be her cause.
[A phrase now little used.]
To go down, to descend in any manner.
1.
To fail; to come to nothing.
2.
To be swallowed or received, not rejected. The doctrine of the divine right of kings will not go down in this period of the world.
To go forth to issue or depart out of a place.
To go forward, to advance.
To go hard with, to be in danger of a fatal issue; to have difficulty to escape.
To go in, to enter.
To go in to, to have sexual commerce with.
To go in and out, to do the business of life.
1.
To go freely; to be at liberty. John 10.
To go off, to depart to a distance; to leave a place or station.
1.
To die; to decease.
2.
To be discharged, as fire arms; to explode.
To go on, to proceed; to advance forward.
1.
To be put on, as a garment. The coat will not go on.
To go out, to issue forth; to depart from.
1.
To go on an expedition.
2.
To become extinct, as light or life; to expire. A candle goes out; fire goes out.
And life itself goes out at thy displeasure.
3.
To become public. This story goes out to the world.
To go over, to read; to peruse; to study.
1.
To examine; to view or review; as, to go over an account.
If we go over the laws of christianity--
2.
To think over; to proceed or pass in mental operation.
3.
To change sides; to pass from one party to another.
4.
To revolt.
5.
To pass from one side to the other, as of a river.
To go through, to pass in a substance; as, to go through water.
1.
To execute; to accomplish; to perform thoroughly; to finish; as, to go through an undertaking.
2.
To suffer; to bear; to undergo; to sustain to the end; as, to go through a long sickness; to go through an operation.
To go through with, to execute effectually.
To go under, to be talked of or known, as by a title or name; as, to go under the name of reformers.go up, to ascend; to rise.
To go upon, to proceed as on a foundation; to take as a principle supposed or settled; as, to go upon a supposition.
To go with, to accompany; to pass with others.
1.
To side with; to be in party or design with.
To go ill with, to have ill fortune; not to prosper.
To go well with, to have good fortune; to prosper.
To go without, to be or remain destitute.
Go to, come, move, begin; a phrase of exhortation; also a phrase of scornful exhortation.

Definition 2024

Go

Go

See also: Appendix:Variations of "go"

English

Proper noun

Go

  1. (games) An ancient Chinese board game, played with 181 black stones and 180 white ones, typically on a board of 19 × 19 squares.
  2. (computer languages) A compiled, garbage-collected, concurrent programming language developed by Google.

Anagrams

French

Symbol

Go

  1. Abbreviation of gigaoctet; GB (gigabyte)

German

Go

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɡoː/

Noun

Go n

  1. go (board game)

Tagalog

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɡɔ/

Etymology

From Min Nan Hokkien 伍 ‎(Ngó͘) and 吳 ‎(Ngô͘).

Proper noun

Go

  1. A surname​ of Chinese origin.

go

go

See also: Appendix:Variations of "go"

English

Pronunciation

  • (UK) enPR: gō, IPA(key): /ɡəʊ/
  • (US) enPR: gō, IPA(key): /ɡoʊ/
  • (Australia) IPA(key): /ɡəʉ/
  • (New Zealand) IPA(key): /ɡɐʉ/
  • Hyphenation: go
  • Rhymes: -əʊ

Verb

go ‎(third-person singular simple present goes, present participle going, simple past went, past participle gone)

  1. To move:
    1. (obsolete, intransitive) To walk; to travel on one's feet. [11th-19th c.]
      • 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XII:
        ‘As for that,’ seyde Sir Trystram, ‘I may chose othir to ryde othir to go.’
      • 1624, John Smith, Generall Historie, in Kupperman 1988, page 129:
        Master Piercie our new President, was so sicke hee could neither goe nor stand.
      • 1684, John Bunyan, “Battle with Giant Slay-good”, in The Pilgrim's Progress, Part II Section 3:
        Other brunts I also look for; but this I have resolved on, to wit, to run when I can, to go when I cannot run, and to creep when I cannot go.
    2. (intransitive) To move through space (especially to or through a place). (May be used of tangible things like people or cars, or intangible things like moods or information.) syn. ant. transl.
      • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 6, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:
        She was so mad she wouldn't speak to me for quite a spell, but at last I coaxed her into going up to Miss Emmeline's room and fetching down a tintype of the missing Deacon man.
      • 2005, David Neilson, Standstill (ISBN 1412055954), page 159:
        […] there was a general sense of panic going through the house; […]
      • 2013, Mike Vouri, The Pig War: Standoff at Griffin Bay (ISBN 0914019627), page 177
        Telegrams to London went by wire to Halifax, Nova Scotia, thence by steam mail packet to Liverpool, […]
      Why don’t you go with us?   This train goes through Cincinnati on its way to Chicago.   Chris, where are you going?   There's no public transit where I'm going.   Wow, look at him go!‎
    3. (intransitive) To move or travel through time (either literally—in a fictional or hypothetical situation in which time travel is possible—or in one's mind or knowledge of the historical record). (See also go back.)
      • 2002 September 18, Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 107th Congress, second session; Senate, page 17033:
        You have to go all the way back to Herbert Hoover to see a performance in the Standard & Poors 500 equal to what we are experiencing right now.
      • 2010, Charlotte Sadler, Time for One More Dance (ISBN 1452015325), page 162:
        "I don't know how to tell you this, Aubrey, but you can't go back to 1938 […] the program won't accept any date that I input before 1941." […] "Well, I'll go to 1941, then."
      Yesterday was the second-wettest day on record; you have to go all the way back to 1896 to find a day when more rain fell.
      Fans want to see the Twelfth Doctor go to the 51st century to visit River in the library.
    4. (intransitive) To navigate (to a file or folder on a computer, a site on the internet, a memory, etc).
      • 2009, David J. Clark, The Unofficial Guide to Microsoft Office Word 2007 (ISBN 0470377437), page 536:
        To access Office-related TechNet resources, go to www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/office.
      • 2009, Lisa W. Coyne, Amy R. Murrell, The Joy of Parenting (ISBN 157224593X):
        Go to your earliest memory and to your favorite one, then to one that's difficult to consider.
      • 2012, Glen E. Clarke, Edward Tetz, CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One For Dummies (ISBN 1118223691), page 280
        Go to drive C: through My Computer (or Computer in Windows 7 and Vista) and double-click the c:\data folder.
    5. (transitive) To move (a particular distance, or in a particular fashion).
      • 2003, Harrison E. Salisbury, The 900 Days: The Siege of Leningrad (ISBN 0306812983), page 307:
        The car went a short distance, then halted. There was something wrong with the carburetor.
      We've only gone twenty miles today.   This car can go circles around that one.‎
    6. (intransitive) To move or travel in order to do something, or to do something while moving.
      We went swimming.   Let's go shopping.‎
    7. (intransitive) To leave; to move away. syn. ant.
      Please don't go!   I really must be going.   Workmen were coming and going at all hours of the night.‎
  2. (intransitive, chiefly of a machine) To work or function (properly); to move or perform (as required). syn. transl.
    The engine just won't go anymore.‎
    • 1997, New Scientist, volume 154, page 105:
      'Although the lemon is now black and shrivelled the motor is still going strong. If I can make my small motor run for month after month on a single lemon, just imagine how much "juice" there must be in a whole sackful', Mr Ashill said.
    • 2008, Michael Buckley, Shangri-La: A Practical Guide to the Himalayan Dream (ISBN 1841622044), page 146
      […] though his publisher swears black and blue that Kelder is still going strong and still remains an intensely private person.
  3. (intransitive) To start; to begin (an action or process).
    Get ready, get set, go!   On your marks, get set, go!   On your marks, set, go!‎
    Here goes nothing.   Let's go and hunt.‎
    • 2001 June 18, a prophecy, quoted in Mary and the Unity of the Church (ISBN 192658211X), page 49:
      Be listening for my voice. Go when you hear my voice say go.
  4. (intransitive) To take a turn, especially in a game. syn. transl.
    It’s your turn; go.‎
  5. (intransitive) To attend.
    I go to school at the schoolhouse.   She went to Yale.   They only go to church on Christmas.‎
  6. To proceed:
    1. (intransitive) To proceed (often in a specified manner, indicating the perceived quality of an event or state).
      That went well.   "How are things going?" "Not bad, thanks."‎
      • Shakespeare:
        How goes the night, boy?
      • Arbuthnot:
        I think, as the world goes, he was a good sort of man enough.
      • I. Watts:
        Whether the cause goes for me or against me, you must pay me the reward.
      • 1986, The Opera Quarterly, volume 4, issues 3-4, page 24:
        I certainly won't mention it to Ben, and will go carefully if he mentions it to me.
    2. (intransitive, colloquial, usually with "and" or "to" and then another verb) To proceed (especially to do something foolish).
      Why'd you have to go and do that?‎
      • 2011, Debra Glass, Scarlet Widow (ISBN 1419937901), page 96:
        And even if she had believed the story about a John Smith, she might go telling everyone in town about what she'd seen.
  7. To follow or travel along (a path):
    1. (transitive) To follow or proceed according to (a course or path).
      • 1951?, Gunther Olesch et al., Siddhartha, translation of original by Hermann Hesse:
        I'm repeating it: I wish that you would go this path up to its end, that you shall find salvation!
      Let's go this way for a while.‎
      She was going that way anyway, so she offered to show him where it was.
    2. To travel or pass along.
      • 2010, Luke Dixon, Khartoum (ISBN 1848762364), page 60:
        A shady promenade went the length of the street and the entrance to the hotel was a few steps back in the darkness, away from the glaring sunshine.
  8. (intransitive) To extend (from one point in time or space to another).
    This property goes all the way to the state line.‎
    • 1946, Hearings Before the Joint Committee on the Investigation of the Pearl Harbor Attack, Congress of the United States, Seventy-ninth Congress, First Session, page 2459:
      I think those figures start from 1932 and go to 1941, inclusive, […]
    • 2007, Math for All: Differentiating instruction, grades K-2 (ISBN 0941355772), page 38:
      Even though they can give a basic fact such as 4 4, I don't know that this knowledge goes very deep for them.
  9. (intransitive) To lead (to a place); to give access to.
    Does this road go to Fort Smith?‎
    • 2013, Without Delusion(ISBN 148369822X), page 191:
      “Where does this door go?” Bev asked as she pointed to a door painted a darker green than the powder green color of the carpet. Janet answered. “That door goes to the back yard.”
  10. (copula) To become. (The adjective that follows usually describes a negative state.) syn. transl.
    You'll go blind.   I went crazy / went mad.   After failing as a criminal, he decided to go straight.‎
    • 2001, Saverio Giovacchini, Hollywood Modernism: Film and Politics (ISBN 1566398630), page 18
      Referring to the American radicals who went Hollywood in the 1930s, Abraham Polonsky argues that "you can't possibly explain the Hollywood communists away […] "
  11. To assume the obligation or function of; to be, to serve as.
    • 1912, The Bookseller, Newsdealer and Stationer, volume 36, page 17:
      There is scarcely a business man who is not occasionally asked to go bail for somebody.
    • 2010, Jane Sanders, Youth Justice: Your Guide to Cops and Courts (ISBN 1862878129):
      Most welfare workers are not allowed to go surety for clients.
  12. (intransitive) To continuously or habitually be in a state.
    I don't want my children to go hungry.   We went barefoot in the summer.‎
  13. To come to (a certain condition or state).
    they went into debt, she goes to sleep around 10 o'clock, the local shop wants to go digital, and eventually go global
  14. (intransitive) To change (from one value to another).
       The traffic light went straight from green to red.‎
  15. To turn out, to result; to come to (a certain result).
    How did your meeting with Smith go?
    • 2014, Tim Harris, Politics Under the Later Stuarts (ISBN 1317900383), page 195
      When Wharton had to relinquish his seat in Buckinghamshire on his elevation to the peerage in 1696, he was unable to replace himself with a suitable man, and the by-election went in favour of a local Tory, Lord Cheyne.
  16. (intransitive) To tend (toward a result).
    Well, that goes to show you.   These experiences go to make us stronger.‎
  17. To contribute to a (specified) end product or result.
    qualities that go to make a lady / lip-reader / sharpshooter
    • 1839, A Challenge to Phrenologists; Or, Phrenology Tested, page 155:
      What can we know of any substance or existence, but as made up of all the qualities that go to its composition: extension, solidity, form, colour; take these away, and you know nothing.
    • 1907, Patrick Doyle, Indian Engineering, volume 41, page 181:
      The avoirdupois pound is one of 7,000 grains, and 16 ounces go to the pound.
  18. To pass, to be used up:
    1. (intransitive, of time) To elapse, to pass; to slip away. (Compare go by.)
      The time went slowly.‎
      • 1850, Sketches of New England Character, in Holden's Dollar Magazine, volumes 5-6, page 731:
        But the days went and went, and she never came; and then I thought I would come here where you were.
      • 2008, Sue Raymond, Hidden Secrets (ISBN 1435747070), page 357:
        The rest of the morning went quickly and before Su knew it Jean was knocking on the door […]
    2. (intransitive) To end or disappear. (Compare go away.) syn. transl.
      After three days, my headache finally went.‎
    3. (intransitive) To be spent or used up.
      His money went on drink.‎
      • 2011, Ross Macdonald, Black Money (ISBN 0307759563), page 29:
        All I have is a sleeping bag right now. All my money goes to keep up the cars.
  19. (intransitive) To die.
    • Walter Scott:
      By Saint George, he's gone! / That spear wound hath our master sped.
    • 1997, John Wheatcroft, The Education of Malcolm Palmer, ISBN 0845348639, page 85:
      "Your father's gone." "Okay, okay, the Gaffer's kicked off. What happened?"
  20. (intransitive) To be discarded.
    This chair has got to go.‎
  21. (intransitive, cricket) To be lost or out:
    1. (intransitive, cricket, of a wicket) To be lost.
    2. (intransitive, cricket, of a batsman) To be out.
  22. To break down or apart:
    1. (intransitive) To collapse or give way, to break apart. syn. transl.
      • 1998, Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, ISBN 0060953020, page 157:
        I wonder if I hopped up and down, would the bridge go?
      • 2011, Shaunti Feldhahn, The Lights of Tenth Street (ISBN 0307564444):
        Sober-eyed commentators safe in their television studios interviewed engineers about the chances that the rest of the dam could go.
      • 2012, Carolyn Keene, Mardi Gras Masquerade (ISBN 1442465476), page 38:
        Jackson shook his head. "The contractor said those panes could go at any moment." "Right. Just like the wiring could go at any moment, and the roof could go at any moment."
    2. (intransitive) To break down or decay.
      This meat is starting to go off.   My mind is going.   She's 83; her eyesight is starting to go.‎
  23. (intransitive) To be sold.
    Everything must go.   The car went for five thousand dollars.‎
  24. (intransitive) To be given, especially to be assigned or allotted.
    The property shall go to my wife.   The award went to Steven Spielberg.‎
    • 2007, David Bouchier, The Song of Suburbia: Scenes from Suburban Life (ISBN 0595437575), page 19:
      If my money goes to education, I want a report card.
  25. (transitive, intransitive) To survive or get by; to last or persist for a stated length of time.
    • 1983, Princeton Alumni Weekly, volume 84, page 48:
      Against the Big Green, Princeton went the entire first and third quarters without gaining a first down, […]
    • 2011 June 4, Phil McNulty, “England 2-2 Switzerland”, in BBC:
      England have now gone four games without a win at Wembley, their longest sequence without a victory in 30 years, and still have much work to do to reach Euro 2012 as they prepare for a testing trip to face Bulgaria in Sofia in September.
    • 2011, H. R. F. Keating, Zen there was Murder (ISBN 1448202426):
      'Surely one cannot go for long in this world to-day without at least a thought for St Simon Stylites?'
    How long can you go without water?   We've gone without your help for a while now.   I've gone ten days now without a cigarette.   Can you two go twenty minutes without arguing?!‎
  26. (transitive, sports) To have a certain record.
    They've gone one for three in this series.   The team is going five in a row.‎
  27. To be authoritative, accepted, or valid:
    1. (intransitive) To have (final) authority; to be authoritative.
      Whatever the boss says goes, do you understand?‎
    2. (intransitive) To be accepted.
      • 1503, “19 Henry VII. c. 5: Coin”, in A Collection of Statutes Connected with the General Administration of the Law, published 1836, page 158:
        […] every of them, being gold, whole and weight, shall go and be current in payment throughout this his realm for the sum that they were coined for.
      Anything goes around here.‎
      • Bible, 1 Sa. xvii. 12:
        The man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.
      • John Locke:
        [The money] should go according to its true value.
    3. (intransitive) To be valid.
      • 2014, Shayna Lance King, If You'd Read This Book: You'd Be Employed By Now (ISBN 0692206221), page 22
        [To job interviews, wear] muted colors. No pink or paisley (that goes for you too, guys!) […]
  28. To say (something), to make a sound:
    1. (transitive, slang) To say (something, aloud or to oneself). (Often used in present tense.)
      I go, "As if!" And she was all like, "Whatever!"‎
      As soon as I did it, I went "that was stupid."‎
    2. (transitive) To make (a specified sound). transl.
      Cats go "meow". Motorcycles go "vroom".‎
    3. (intransitive) To sound; to make a noise.
      I woke up just before the clock went.‎
  29. To be expressed or composed (a certain way).
    The tune goes like this.   As the story goes, he got the idea for the song while sitting in traffic.‎
  30. (intransitive) To resort (to).
    I'll go to court if I have to.‎
  31. To apply or subject oneself to:
    1. To apply oneself; to undertake; to have as one's goal or intention. (Compare be going to.)
      I'm going to join a sports team.   I wish you'd go and get a job.   He went to pick it up, but it rolled out of reach.
      He's going to leave town tomorrow.
      • Philip Sidney:
        Seeing himself confronted by so many, like a resolute orator, he went not to denial, but to justify his cruel falsehood.
      • 1990, Celestine Sibley, Tokens of myself (ISBN 0929264401), page 73:
        Now I didn't go to make that mistake about the record-breaking drought of more than fifty years ago, but, boy, am I glad I made it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have heard from Joe Almand.
    2. (intransitive) To make an effort, to subject oneself (to something).
      You didn't have to go to such trouble.   I never thought he'd go so far as to call you.   She went to great expense to help them win.‎
    3. (intransitive) To work (through or over), especially mentally.
      I've gone over this a hundred times.   Let's not go into that right now.‎
  32. To fit (in a place, or together with something):
    1. (intransitive, often followed by a preposition) To fit. syn. transl.
      Do you think the sofa will go through the door?   The belt just barely went around his waist.‎
    2. (intransitive) To be compatible, especially of colors or food and drink.
      This shade of red doesn't go with the drapes.   White wine goes better with fish than red wine.‎
    3. (intransitive) To belong (somewhere). syn. transl.
      My shirts go on this side of the wardrobe.   This piece of the jigsaw goes on the other side.‎
  33. (intransitive) To date. syn. transl.
    How long having they been going together?   He's been going with her for two weeks.‎
  34. To attack:
    1. (intransitive) To fight or attack.
      • 2002, Jayne Cobb, “Objects in Space”, in Firefly:
        You wanna go, little man?
      I went at him with a knife.‎
    2. (transitive, Australian slang) To attack.
      • 1964, Robert Close, Love Me Sailor, page 131:
        As big as me. Strong, too. I was itching to go him, And he had clouted Ernie.
      • 2002, James Freud, I am the Voice Left from Drinking, unnumbered page:
        Then I′m sure I heard him mutter ‘Why don′t you get fucked,’ under his breath.
        It was at that moment that I became a true professional. Instead of going him, I announced the next song.
      • 2005, Joy Dettman, One Sunday, page 297,
        Tom stepped back, considered the hill, and taking off down it. She was going to go him for blowing that flamin′ whistle in her ear all day.
  35. To be in general; to be usually.
    As sentences go, this one is pretty boring.
    • 1982, Fernand Braudel, On History (ISBN 0226071510), page 40:
      They are fairly rough and ready as models go, not often driven to the rigor of an authentic scientific law, and never worried about coming out with some revolutionary mathematical language — but models nonetheless, […]
  36. (transitive) To take (a particular part or share); to participate in to the extent of.
    • L'Estrange:
      They were to go equal shares in the booty.
    Let's go halves on this.‎
  37. (transitive) To yield or weigh.
    • 1910, Ray Stannard Baker, Adventures in Friendship, page 182:
      This'll go three tons to the acre, or I'll eat my shirt.
    Those babies go five tons apiece.‎
  38. (transitive, intransitive) To offer, bid or bet an amount; to pay.
    That's as high as I can go.   We could go two fifty.‎
    I'll go a ten-spot.   I'll go you a shilling.‎
  39. (transitive, colloquial) To enjoy. (Compare go for.)
    I could go a beer right about now.‎
  40. (intransitive, colloquial) To urinate or defecate. syn. transl.
    I really need to go.   Have you managed to go today, Mrs. Miggins?‎
    • 2006, Kevin Blue, Practical Justice: Living Off-Center in a Self-Centered World (ISBN 0830833684), page 54:
      Clarence was just as surprised to see Richard, and he went—right there in the doorway. I had slept through all this mayhem on the other side of the apartment. By the time I got up, these were all semi-comical memories and the urine had been cleaned up.
Usage notes
  • Some speakers use went for the past participle.
  • Along with do, make, and to a lesser extent other English verbs, go is often used as a substitute for a verb that was used previously or that is implied, in the same way a pronoun substitutes for a noun. For example:
    Chris: Then he goes like this: (Chris then waves arms around, implying that the phrase means then he waves his arms).
  • The verb to go has two different present participles (like many other English verbs),i.e. going and goand. The form goand is now obsolete outside a few (rural) dialects where it is considered archaic. For example:
    Goand snell athwart the houf.. hoo hent 'im be the swyr : (Walking swiftly across the churchyard.. she grabbed him by the neck).
Conjugation
Quotations
  • For usage examples of this term, see Citations:go.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Hyponyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
to move through space (especially from one place to another) def. syn. ant.
of a machine, to work def. syn.
to take a turn def. syn.
to become def. syn.
to disappear def. syn. ant.
to be destroyed def. syn.
to make (a specified sound) def.
to fit def. syn.
to belong; to have as its/their proper place def. syn.
to date def. syn.

def. syn.

Noun

go ‎(plural goes)

  1. (uncommon) The act of going.
    • 1993, Francis J. Sheed, Theology and Sanity (ISBN 0898704707):
      The Apostles were to be the first of a line. They would multiply successors, and the successors would die and their successors after them, but the line would never fail; and the come and go of men would not matter, since it is the one Christ operating through all of them.
    • 2009, Mark Raney, David Midgett (ISBN 0578028565), page 68:
      They talk easily together and they hear the come and go of the breeze in the soon to be turning burnt leaves of the high trees.
  2. A turn at something, or in something (e.g. a game).
    You’ve been on that pinball machine long enough—now let your brother have a go.
    It’s your go.
  3. An attempt, a try.
    I’ll give it a go.
    • 2012, Alex Montgomery, Martin O'Neill: The Biography (ISBN 1448132983), page 196:
      You have to stay and we will have a go at winning the championship next season."
  4. An approval or permission to do something, or that which has been approved.
    We will begin as soon as the boss says it's a go.
    • Bret Harte
      "Well," said Fleming, "is it a go?"
    • 2009, Craig Nelson, Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon (ISBN 1101057734)
      And as soon as we gave them the go to continue, we lost communication.
  5. An act; the working or operation.
    • 1598, John Marston, Pigmalion, The Metamorphosis of Pigmalions Image and Certaine Satyres, 1856, J. O. Halliwell (editor), The Works of John Marston: Reprinted from the Original Editions, Volume 3, page 211,
      Let this suffice, that that same happy night, / So gracious were the goes of marriage ...
  6. (slang, dated) A circumstance or occurrence; an incident.
    • 1839, Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby, 1868, The Works of Charles Dickens, Volume 2: Nicholas Nickleby, Martin Chuzzlewit, American Notes, page 306,
      “Well, this is a pretty go, is this here! An uncommon pretty go! […] .
  7. (dated) The fashion or mode.
    quite the go
  8. (dated) Noisy merriment.
    a high go
  9. (slang, archaic) A glass of spirits; a quantity of spirits.
    • 1836, Charles Dickens, Sketches by Boz:
      When the cloth was removed, Mr. Thomas Potter ordered the waiter to bring in two goes of his best Scotch whiskey, with warm water and sugar, and a couple of his "very mildest" Havannas,
    • 1868 March, In a City Bus, in the Eclectic Magazine, new series volume VII, number 3:
      “Then, if you value it so highly,” I said, “you can hardly object to stand half a go of brandy for its recovery.”
  10. Power of going or doing; energy; vitality; perseverance.
    There is no go in him.
  11. (cribbage) The situation where a player cannot play a card which will not carry the aggregate count above thirty-one.
  12. A period of activity.
    ate it all in one go
    • 1995, William Noel, The Harley Psalter (ISBN 0521464951), page 65
      This could mean that the artist traced the illustration in two goes, as it were, or that the Utrecht Psalter slipped while he was tracing, but I do not think that the relative proportions are consistent enough to demonstrate this.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

From the Japanese character 碁 ‎(go), though it is usually called 囲碁 ‎(igo) in Japanese.

Noun

go ‎(uncountable)

  1. (board game) A strategic board game, originally from China, in which two players (black and white) attempt to control the largest area of the board with their counters.
Synonyms
  • weiqi
Translations

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: day · through · himself · #117: go · how · long · am

Anagrams

Arigidi

Adjective

go

  1. tall

References

  • B. Oshodi, The HTS (High Tone Syllable) in Arigidi: An Introduction, in the Nordic Journal of African Studies 20(4): 263–275 (2011)

Czech

Noun

go n

  1. (board games) go

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -oː

Noun

go n ‎(uncountable)

  1. (board games) go

Esperanto

Noun

go ‎(accusative singular go-on, plural go-oj, accusative plural go-ojn)

  1. The name of the Latin-script letter G/g.

See also

French

Etymology 1

Noun

go m ‎(plural go)

  1. go (board game)
Synonyms
  • jeu de go

Etymology 2

Variant forms.

Noun

go m ‎(plural gos)

  1. Alternative form of gau

Hungarian

Etymology

From the Japanese character 碁 ‎(go), though it is usually called 囲碁 ‎(igo) in Japanese.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈɡoː]

Noun

go ‎(plural gók)

  1. (board games) go

Declension

Inflection of go
singular plural
nominative go gók
accusative gót gókat
dative gónak góknak
instrumental góval gókkal
causal-final góért gókért
translative góvá gókká
terminative góig gókig
essive-formal góként gókként
essive-modal — —
inessive góban gókban
superessive gón gókon
adessive gónál góknál
illative góba gókba
sublative góra gókra
allative góhoz gókhoz
elative góból gókból
delative góról gókról
ablative gótól góktól
Possessive forms of go
possessor single possession multiple possessions
1st person sing. góm góim
2nd person sing. gód góid
3rd person sing. gója gói
1st person plural gónk góink
2nd person plural gótok góitok
3rd person plural gójuk góik

Derived terms

  • gózik
  • gotábla

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish co, from Proto-Indo-European *kom ‎(“next to, at, with, along”). Cognate with German ge- ‎(“with”) (collective prefix) and gegen ‎(“toward, against”), English gain-, Spanish con ‎(“with”), Russian ко ‎(ko, “to”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɡɔ/, /ɡə/

Conjunction

go (triggers eclipsis, takes dependent form of irregular verbs)

  1. that (used to introduce a subordinate clause)
    Deir sé go bhfuil deifir air‎ ― He says that he is in a hurry
  2. used to introduce a subjunctive hortative
    Go gcuidí Dia leo‎ ― May God help them
    Go maire tú é‎ ― May you live to enjoy it
    Go raibh maith agat‎ ― Thank you (May you have good)
  3. until, till
    Fan go dtiocfaidh sé‎ ― Wait until he comes

Synonyms

Related terms

  • (introducing subordinate clause; until):
    • gur (for past tenses)
    • nach (for negated clauses)
    • nár (for past tenses in negated clauses)
  • (introducing subjunctive hortative): nár (for a negative wish)

Preposition

go ‎(plus dative, triggers h-prothesis, before the definite article gos)

  1. to (with places), till, until
    dul go Meiriceá‎ ― to go to America
    Fáilte go hÉirinn‎ ― Welcome to Ireland
    go leor‎ ― enough, plenty, galore (lit. until plenty)
    go fóill‎ ― still, yet, till later, in a while, later on

Synonyms

Particle

go (triggers h-prothesis)

  1. used to make temporary state adverbs and predicative adjectives
    D’ith sé go maith‎ ― he ate well
    Shiúlaíodar go mall‎ ― They walked slowly
    go feargach‎ ― angrily
    Táim go maith‎ ― I am well (compare: Is maith mé I am good)

Italian

Noun

go m

  1. (board games) go

Japanese

Romanization

go

  1. rōmaji reading of ご
  2. rōmaji reading of ゴ

Lojban

Cmavo

go

  1. (conjunction, logical connective) iff

Usage notes

  • This is a coordinating conjunction: a Lojban sentence of the form "go A gi B" corresponds to an English sentence of the form "A if and only if B".
  • This cmavo go is a logical connective and does not imply causation.
  • This is a so-called "forethought connective". Its corresponding "afterthought connective" is .ijo.

Derived terms

See also

Northern Sami

Conjunction

go

  1. when
  2. when, as
  3. since, because
  4. (in comparisons) than

Ojibwe

Particle

go

  1. just then
  2. indeed (expressing assurance, assertiveness, affirmation)
  3. formerly
  4. it was the custom to
  5. it used to be

Alternative forms

Pijin

Etymology

English go

Verb

go

  1. To go; to leave; to go to; to go toward
    • 1988, Geoffrey Miles White, Bikfala faet: olketa Solomon Aelanda rimembarem Wol Wo Tu, page 75:
      Bihaen hemi finisim skul blong hem, hemi go minista long sios long ples blong hem long 'Areo.
This entry has fewer than three known examples of actual usage, the minimum considered necessary for clear attestation, and may not be reliable. This language is subject to a special exemption for languages with limited documentation. If you speak it, please consider editing this entry or adding citations. See also Help and the Community Portal.

Polish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ɡɔ]

Etymology 1

Pronoun

go

  1. Genitive singular mute form of on
  2. Accusative singular mute form of on
    Widzisz go?
    Can you see him?
  3. Genitive singular mute form of ono

Etymology 2

From Japanese 碁 ‎(go)

Noun

go n ‎(indeclinable)

  1. go

Portuguese

Noun

go m (uncountable)

  1. (board game) go (Chinese strategy board game)

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *golъ, from Proto-Indo-European *galw- ‎(“naked, bald”).

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɡôːl/

Adjective

gȏ ‎(definite gȍlī, comparative gòlijī, Cyrillic spelling го̑)

  1. (Bosnia, Serbia) naked, nude, bare

Declension

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

From English go ‎(“to go”)

Verb

go

  1. To go

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English go.

Verb

go

  1. go, leave

Venetian

Verb

go

  1. first-person singular present indicative of gaver


Vietnamese

Pronunciation

Noun

go

  1. woof, weft

Volapük

Adverb

go

  1. absolutely

Welsh

Pronunciation

IPA(key): [ɡoː]

Adverb

go

  1. pretty, a bit, fairly

Etymology

From Middle English gon, goon, from Old English gān ‎(“to go”), from Proto-Germanic *gāną ‎(“to go”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₁- ‎(“to leave”). The inherited past tense form yode, (compare Old English ēode) was replaced in 15th century by went, from Old English wendan ‎(“to go, depart, wend”); this process is called suppletion.

Cognate with Scots ga ‎(“to go”), West Frisian gean ‎(“to go”), Low German gahn ‎(“to go”), Dutch gaan ‎(“to go”), German gehen ‎(“to go”), Swedish gå ‎(“to go”), Danish gå ‎(“to go”). Compare also Albanian ngah ‎(“to run, drive, go”), Ancient Greek κιχάνω ‎(kikhánō, “to meet with, arrive at”), Avestan 𐬰𐬀𐬰𐬁𐬨𐬌 ‎(zazāmi), Sanskrit जहाति ‎(jáhāti)

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