v., n., & adj.
v. (3rd sing. present goes; past went; past part. gone) 1 intr. a start moving or be moving from one place or point in time to another; travel, proceed. b (foll. by to + infin., or and + verb) proceed in order to (went to find him; go and buy some bread). c (foll. by and + verb) colloq. expressing annoyance (you went and told him; they've gone and broken it; she went and won). 2 intr. (foll. by verbal noun) make a special trip for; participate in; proceed to do (went skiing; then went shopping; often goes running). 3 intr. lie or extend in a certain direction (the road goes to London). 4 intr. leave; depart (they had to go). 5 intr. move, act, work, etc. (the clock doesn't go; his brain is going all the time). 6 intr. a make a specified movement (go like this with your foot). b make a sound (often of a specified kind) (the gun went bang; the door bell went). c colloq. say (so he goes to me 'Why didn't you like it?'). d (of an animal) make (its characteristic cry) (the cow went 'moo'). 7 intr. be in a specified state (go hungry; went in fear of his life). 8 intr. a pass into a specified condition (gone bad; went mad; went to sleep). b colloq. die. c proceed or escape in a specified condition (the poet went unrecognized; the crime went unnoticed). 9 intr. (of time or distance) pass, elapse; be traversed (ten days to go before Easter; the last mile went quickly). 10 intr. a (of a document, verse, song, etc.) have a specified content or wording; run (the tune goes like this). b be current or accepted (so the story goes). c be suitable; fit; match (the shoes don't go with the hat). d be regularly kept or put (the forks go here). e find room; fit (this won't go into the cupboard). 11 intr. a turn out, proceed; take a course or view (things went well; Liverpool went Labour). b be successful (make the party go; went like a bomb). c progress (we've still a long way to go). 12 intr. a be sold (went for $1; went cheap). b (of money) be spent ($200 went on a new jacket). 13 intr. a be relinquished, dismissed, or abolished (the car will have to go). b fail, decline; give way, collapse (his sight is going; the bulb has gone). 14 intr. be acceptable or permitted; be accepted without question (anything goes; what I say goes). 15 intr. (often foll. by by, with, on, upon) be guided by; judge or act on or in harmony with (have nothing to go on; a good rule to go by). 16 intr. attend or visit or travel to regularly (goes to church; goes to school; this train goes to Bristol). 17 intr. (foll. by pres. part.) colloq. proceed (often foolishly) to do (went running to the police; don't go making him angry). 18 intr. act or proceed to a certain point (will go so far and no further; went as high as $100). 19 intr. (of a number) be capable of being contained in another (6 into 12 goes twice; 6 into 5 won't go). 20 tr. Cards bid; declare (go nap; has gone two spades). 21 intr. (usu. foll. by to) be allotted or awarded; pass (first prize went to the girl; the job went to his rival). 22 intr. (foll. by to, towards) amount to; contribute to (12 inches go to make a foot; this will go towards your holiday). 23 intr. (in imper.) begin motion (a starter's order in a race) (ready, steady, go!). 24 intr. (usu. foll. by to) refer or appeal (go to him for help). 25 intr. (often foll. by on) take up a specified profession (went on the stage; gone soldiering; went to sea). 26 intr. (usu. foll. by by, under) be known or called (goes by the name of Droopy). 27 tr. colloq. proceed to (go jump in the lake). 28 intr. (foll. by for) apply to; have relevance for (that goes for me too).
n. (pl. goes) 1 the act or an instance of going. 2 mettle; spirit; dash; animation (she has a lot of go in her). 3 vigorous activity (it's all go). 4 colloq. a success (made a go of it). 5 colloq. a turn; an attempt (I'll have a go; it's my go; all in one go). 6 colloq. a state of affairs (a rum go). 7 colloq. an attack of illness (a bad go of flu). 8 colloq. a quantity of liquor, food, etc. served at one time.
adj. colloq. 1 functioning properly (all systems are go). 2 fashionable; progressive. all the go colloq. in fashion. as (or so) far as it goes an expression of caution against taking a statement too positively (the work is good as far as it goes). as (a person or thing) goes as the average is (a good actor as actors go). from the word go colloq. from the very beginning. give it a go colloq. make an effort to succeed. go about 1 busy oneself with; set to work at. 2 be socially active. 3 (foll. by pres. part.) make a habit of doing (goes about telling lies). 4 Naut. change to an opposite tack. go ahead proceed without hesitation. go-ahead n. permission to proceed.
adj. enterprising. go along with agree to; take the same view as. go around 1 (foll. by with) be regularly in the company of. 2 = go about 3. go-as-you-please untrammelled; free. go at take in hand energetically; attack. go away depart, esp. from home for a holiday etc. go back on fail to keep (one's word, promise, etc.). go bail see BAIL(1). go begging see BEG. go-between an intermediary; a negotiator. go by 1 pass. 2 be dependent on; be guided by. go-by colloq. a snub; a slight (gave it the go-by). go by default see DEFAULT. go-cart 1 a handcart; a pushchair. 2 = go-kart. 3 archaic a baby-walker. go-devil US an instrument used to clean the inside of pipes etc. go down 1 a (of an amount) become less (the coffee has gone down a lot). b subside (the flood went down). c decrease in price; lose value. 2 a (of a ship) sink. b (of the sun) set. 3 (usu. foll. by to) be continued to a specified point. 4 deteriorate; fail; (of a computer network etc.) cease to function. 5 be recorded in writing. 6 be swallowed. 7 (often foll. by with) find acceptance. 8 Brit. colloq. leave university. 9 colloq. be sent to prison (went down for ten years). 10 (often foll. by before) fall (before a conqueror). go down with Brit. begin to suffer from (a disease). go Dutch see DUTCH. go far be very successful. go for 1 go to fetch. 2 be accounted as or achieve (went for nothing). 3 prefer; choose (that's the one I go for). 4 colloq. strive to attain (go for it!). 5 colloq. attack (the dog went for him). go-getter colloq. an aggressively enterprising person, esp. a businessman. go-go colloq. 1 (of a dancer, music, etc.) in modern style, lively, and rhythmic. 2 unrestrained; energetic. 3 (of investment) speculative. go great guns see GUN. go halves (or shares) (often foll. by with) share equally. go in 1 enter a room, house, etc. 2 (usu. foll. by for) enter as a competitor. 3 Cricket take or begin an innings. 4 (of the sun etc.) become obscured by cloud. go in for take as one's object, style, pursuit, principle, etc. going!, gone! an auctioneer's announcement that bidding is closing or closed. go into 1 enter (a profession, Parliament, etc.). 2 take part in; be a part of. 3 investigate. 4 allow oneself to pass into (hysterics etc.). 5 dress oneself in (mourning etc.). 6 frequent (society). go it colloq. 1 act vigorously, furiously, etc. 2 indulge in dissipation. go it alone see ALONE. go it strong colloq. go to great lengths; exaggerate. go-kart a miniature racing car with a skeleton body. go a long way 1 (often foll. by towards) have a great effect. 2 (of food, money, etc.) last a long time, buy much. 3 = go far. go off 1 explode. 2 leave the stage. 3 gradually cease to be felt. 4 (esp. of foodstuffs) deteriorate; decompose. 5 go to sleep; become unconscious. 6 begin. 7 die. 8 be got rid of by sale etc. 9 Brit. colloq. begin to dislike (I've gone off him). go-off colloq. a start (at the first go-off). go off at Austral. & NZ sl. reprimand, scold. go off well (or badly etc.) (of an enterprise etc.) be received or accomplished well (or badly etc.). go on 1 (often foll. by pres. part.) continue, persevere (decided to go on with it; went on trying; unable to go on). 2 colloq. a talk at great length. b (foll. by at) admonish (went on and on at him). 3 (foll. by to + infin.) proceed (went on to become a star). 4 happen. 5 conduct oneself (shameful, the way they went on). 6 Theatr. appear on stage. 7 Cricket begin bowling. 8 (of a garment) be large enough for its wearer. 9 take one's turn to do something. 10 (also go upon) colloq. use as evidence (police don't have anything to go on). 11 colloq. (esp. in neg.) a concern oneself about. b care for (don't go much on red hair). 12 become chargeable to (the parish etc.). go on! colloq. an expression of encouragement or disbelief. go out 1 leave a room, house, etc. 2 be broadcast. 3 be extinguished. 4 (often foll. by with) be courting. 5 (of a government) leave office. 6 cease to be fashionable. 7 (usu. foll. by to) depart, esp. to a colony etc. 8 colloq. lose consciousness. 9 (of workers) strike. 10 (usu. foll. by to) (of the heart etc.) expand with sympathy etc. towards (my heart goes out to them). 11 Golf play the first nine holes in a round. 12 Cards be the first to dispose of one's hand. 13 (of a tide) turn to low tide. go over 1 inspect the details of; rehearse; retouch. 2 (often foll. by to) change one's allegiance or religion. 3 (of a play etc.) be successful (went over well in Dundee). go round 1 spin, revolve. 2 be long enough to encompass. 3 (of food etc.) suffice for everybody. 4 (usu. foll. by to) visit informally. 5 = go around. go slow work slowly, as a form of industrial action. go-slow Brit. such industrial action. go through 1 be dealt with or completed. 2 discuss in detail; scrutinize in sequence. 3 perform (a ceremony, a recitation, etc.). 4 undergo. 5 colloq. use up; spend (money etc.). 6 make holes in. 7 (of a book) be successively published (in so many editions). 8 Austral. sl. abscond. go through with not leave unfinished; complete. go to! archaic an exclamation of disbelief, impatience, admonition, etc. go to the bar become a barrister. go to blazes (or hell or Jericho etc.) sl. an exclamation of dismissal, contempt, etc. go to the country see COUNTRY. go together 1 match; fit. 2 be courting. go to it! colloq. begin work! go-to-meeting (of a hat, clothes, etc.) suitable for going to church in. go to show (or prove) serve to demonstrate (or prove). go under sink; fail; succumb. go up 1 increase in price. 2 Brit. colloq. enter university. 3 be consumed (in flames etc.); explode. go well (or ill etc.) (often foll. by with) turn out well, (or ill etc.). go with 1 be harmonious with; match. 2 agree to; take the same view as. 3 a be a pair with. b be courting. 4 follow the drift of. go without manage without; forgo (also absol. : we shall just have to go without). go with the tide (or times) do as others do; follow the drift. have a go at 1 attack, criticize. 2 attempt, try. on the go colloq. 1 in constant motion. 2 constantly working. to go US (of refreshments etc.) to be eaten or drunk off the premises. who goes there? a sentry's challenge.
[ OE gan f. Gmc: went orig. past of WEND ]