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

Sorokin: The two fish that got the most attention are the steelhead trout and the tidewater gobies. —Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2025

Another endangered fish, northern tidewater gobies, were rescued from the same watershed shortly before the steelhead were liberated. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025

Verb

But as the years went by, its allure waned and the restaurant eventually closed. —Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 24 May 2025

As the time went by, viewers saw the couple — who tied the knot in 2018 — getting ultrasounds, assembling various baby toys and setting up their nursery, which McCreery told PEOPLE was Winnie the Pooh-themed. —Kayla Grant, People.com, 23 May 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