Illustration of goby
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
went by; gone by; going by; goes by
: pass sense 3b
as time goes by
1
a
: to be guided or directed by : act in accordance with
going by the rules
went by what we'd been told
b
: to form an opinion from
You can't go by appearances.
2
: to be known by (a name)
goes by her birth name
goes by an alias
3
: to go (somewhere) especially to see someone
I went by your house yesterday.
Examples of goby in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Depending on the day, the menu may include fresh marble goby fish from the Mekong River, served with vermicelli and a light soy sauce, or lobster sour soup with lemongrass.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Many of them are dead and gone by the 1870s, or they’re elected out of office.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for goby
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Noun
In Wisconsin, the state approved an emergency rule removing limits on the catch of invasive round gobies, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Depending on the day, the menu may include fresh marble goby fish from the Mekong River, served with vermicelli and a light soy sauce, or lobster sour soup with lemongrass.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
Perhaps a few were content with the chase alone, a chance to relive the thrill of hunting days gone by when large game was common.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Many of them are dead and gone by the 1870s, or they’re elected out of office.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for goby
Cite this Entry
“Goby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goby. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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