[go] vb went ; gone ; go.ing ; goes [ME gon, fr. OE gan; akin to OHG gan to go, Gk kichanein to reach, attain] vi (bef. 12c) 1: to move on a course: proceed "~ slow" "went by train"--compare stop
2: to move out of or away from a place expressed or implied: leave, depart "went from school to the party" "~ing away for vacation" 3 a: to take a certain course or follow a certain procedure "reports ~ 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 esp. to intensify a complementary verb "why did you ~ and spoil it" "~ jump in a lake" d (1): to extend from point to point or in a certain direction "the road ~es to the lake" (2): to give access: lead "that door ~es to the cellar"
4. obs: walk
5: to be habitually in a certain state or condition "~ bareheaded"
6. a: 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 "these slums have to ~" e: to pass by sale "went for a good price" f: to become impaired or weakened "his hearing started to ~" g: to give way esp. under great force or pressure: break "the roof went"
7. a: to move along in a specified manner: fare "everything was ~ing well" b: to be in general or on an average "cheap, as yachts ~" c: to be or become esp. as the result of a contest "the election went in her favor" d: to turn out well: succeed "worked hard to make the party ~"
8. a: to apply oneself "went to work" b: to put or subject oneself "went to unnecessary expense" c chiefly Southern & Midland: intend "I didn't ~ to do it" 9: to have recourse to another for corroboration, vindication, or decision: resort "~ to court to recover damages"
10. a: to begin an action or motion "here ~es" b: to maintain or perform a certain action or motion "still ~ing strong" c: to function in the proper or expected manner: run "the motor won't ~" 11: to be known "~es by an alias" 12 a: to act in accordance or harmony "a good rule to ~ by" b: to come to be determined "dreams ~ by contraries" c: to come to be applied or appropriated "all proceeds ~ to charity" d: to pass by award, assignment, or lot "the prize n -- go about : to set about -- go after : to try to get: seek -- go all the way 1: to enter into complete agreement
2: to engage in sexual intercourse -- go at 1 a: to make an attack on b: to make an approach to
2: undertake -- go back on 1: abandon
2: betray
3: fail -- go begging : to be in little demand -- go by the board 1: to be carried over a ship's side
2: to be discarded -- go down the line : to give wholehearted support -- go easy : to be sparing "go easy with the sugar" "go easy on the kid" -- go fly a kite : to stop being an annoyance or disturbance "told him to go fly a kite" -- go for 1: to pass for or serve as
2: to try to secure or attain (as a goal) "go for the prize" 3 a: favor, accept "cannot go for your idea" b: to have an interest in or liking for "she went for him in a big way --Chandler Brossard"
4: attack, assail "my dog went for the intruder" -- go for broke : to put forth all one's strength or resources -- go great guns : to achieve great success -- go hang : to cease to be of interest or concern -- go into : to be contained in "5 goes into 60 12 times" -- go it 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" -- go missing chiefly Brit: to become lost: disappear -- go one better : outdo, surpass -- go over 1: examine
2. a: repeat b: study, review -- go places : to be on the way to success -- go public 1 of a close corporation: to offer shares for sale to the general public
2: to make a public disclosure -- go steady : to date one person exclusively and frequently -- go the vole : to risk all for great gains -- go through 1: to subject to thorough examination, consideration, or study
2: experience, undergo
3: carry out, perform "went through his work in a daze" -- go to bat for : to give active support or assistance to: defend, champion -- go to bed with : to have sexual intercourse with -- go to one's head 1: to cause one to become confused, excited, or dizzy
2: to cause one to become conceited or overconfident -- go to pieces : to become shattered (as in nerves or health) -- go to the mat : to make an all-out combative effort (as in support of a position) -- go to town 1: to work or act rapidly or efficiently
2: to be markedly successful
3: to indulge oneself excessively -- go with 1: date
2: choose
2. "went with an iron off the tee" -- go without saying : to be self-evident -- go with the flow : conform 2b -- to go 1: still remaining "ten minutes to go"
2. of prepared food: sold for consumption off the premises
[2]go n, pl goes (1727) 1: the act or manner of going
2: the height of fashion: rage "elegant shawls labeled ... "quite the ~" --R. S. Surtees"
3: an often unexpected turn of affairs: occurrence
4: the quantity used or furnished at one time "you can obtain a ~ of brandy for sixpence --C. B. Fairbanks"
5: energy, vigor
6. a: a turn in an activity (as a game) "it's your ~" b: attempt, try "have a ~ at painting" 7: a spell of activity "finished the job at one ~" 8: success "made a ~ of the business" 9: permission to proceed: go-ahead "gave the astronauts a ~ for another orbit" -- no go : to no avail: useless -- on the go : constantly or restlessly active [3]go adj (1961): functioning properly: being in good and ready condition "declared all systems ~" [4]go n, often cap [Jp] (1890): a Japanese 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