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

And this piece by Times staff writer Lila Seidman about a group of biologists saving hundreds of tidewater goby reminded me how cute fish can be. —Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2025

The shrimp excavates and maintains a burrow in the sand, offering shelter to both itself and the goby. —Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025

Verb

But fronts like this aren’t always in place, so many atmospheric river events go by with their potential untapped. —Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025

In real life, the program is up and running within minutes, but in the simulated reality, months have gone by, and the two women have fallen in love. —Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 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