| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
go1 (ɡəʊ) ![]() | |
| —vb (foll by by | |
| 1. | to move or proceed, esp to or from a point or in a certain direction: to go to London; to go home |
| 2. | (tr; takes an infinitive, |
| 3. | to depart: we'll have to go at eleven |
| 4. | to start, as in a race: often used in commands |
| 5. | to make regular journeys: this train service goes to the east coast |
| 6. | to operate or function effectively: the radio won't go |
| 7. | (copula) to become: his face went red with embarrassment |
| 8. | to make a noise as specified: the gun went bang |
| 9. | to enter into a specified state or condition: to go into hysterics; to go into action |
| 10. | to be or continue to be in a specified state or condition: to go in rags; to go in poverty |
| 11. | to lead, extend, or afford access: this route goes to the north |
| 12. | to proceed towards an activity: to go to supper; to go to sleep |
| 13. | (tr; takes an infinitive) to serve or contribute: this letter goes to prove my point |
| 14. | to follow a course as specified; fare: the lecture went badly |
| 15. | to be applied or allotted to a particular purpose or recipient: her wealth went to her son; his money went on drink |
| 16. | to be sold or otherwise transferred to a recipient: the necklace went for three thousand pounds |
| 17. | to be ranked; compare: this meal is good as my meals go |
| 18. | to blend or harmonize: these chairs won't go with the rest of your furniture |
| 19. | to be known (by a name or disguise) |
| 20. | to fit or extend: that skirt won't go round your waist |
| 21. | to have a usual or proper place: those books go on this shelf |
| 22. | (of music, poetry, etc) to be sounded; expressed, etc: how does that song go? |
| 23. | to fail or give way: my eyesight is going |
| 24. | to break down or collapse abruptly: the ladder went at the critical moment |
| 25. | to die: the old man went at 2 am |
| 26. | ( |
| a. (of time) to elapse: the hours go by so slowly at the office | |
| b. to travel past: the train goes by her house at four | |
| c. to be guided (by) | |
| 27. | to occur: happiness does not always go with riches |
| 28. | to be eliminated, abolished, or given up: this entry must go to save space |
| 29. | to be spent or finished: all his money has gone |
| 30. | to circulate or be transmitted: the infection went around the whole community |
| 31. | to attend: go to school; go to church |
| 32. | to join a stated profession: go to the bar; go on the stage |
| 33. | ( |
| 34. | ( |
| 35. | to proceed, esp up to or beyond certain limits: you will go too far one day and then you will be punished |
| 36. | to be acceptable or tolerated: anything goes in this place |
| 37. | to carry the weight of final authority: what the boss says goes |
| 38. | ( |
| 39. | ( |
| 40. | (tr) cards to bet or bid: I go two hearts |
| 41. | informal chiefly (US) (tr) to have as one's weight: I went 112 pounds a year ago |
| 42. | (US), (Canadian) |
| a. to start to act so as to: go shut the door | |
| b. to leave so as to: go blow your brains out | |
| 43. | informal to perform well; be successful: that group can really go |
| 44. | not standard (tr) to say: widely used, esp in the historic present, in reporting dialogue: Then she goes, ``Give it to me!'' and she just snatched it |
| 45. | informal go and to be so foolish or unlucky as to: then she had to go and lose her hat |
| 46. | be going to intend or be about to start (to do or be doing something): often used as an alternative future construction: what's going to happen to us? |
| 47. | slang go ape to become crazy, enraged, or out of control |
| 48. | slang go ape over to become crazy or extremely enthusiastic about |
| 49. | go astray to be mislaid; go missing |
| 50. | go bail to act as surety |
| 51. | go bush See bush |
| 52. | go halves See half |
| 53. | ( |
| 54. | slang go it to do something or move energetically |
| 55. | informal go it alone to act or proceed without allies or help |
| 56. | informal go much on to approve of or be in agreement with (something): usually used in the negative: I don't go much on the idea |
| 57. | informal go one better to surpass or outdo (someone) |
| 58. | informal go the whole hog See hog |
| 59. | let go |
| a. to relax one's hold (on); release | |
| b. euphemistic to dismiss (from employment) | |
| c. to discuss or consider no further | |
| 60. | let oneself go |
| a. to act in an uninhibited manner | |
| b. to lose interest in one's appearance, manners, etc | |
| 61. | to go |
| a. remaining | |
| b. informal (US), (Canadian) (of food served by a restaurant) for taking away | |
| —n , goes, going, went, gone, goes | |
| 62. | the act of going |
| 63. | informal |
| a. an attempt or try: he had a go at the stamp business | |
| b. an attempt at stopping a person suspected of a crime: the police are not always in favour of the public having a go | |
| c. an attack, esp verbal: she had a real go at them | |
| 64. | a turn: it's my go next |
| 65. | informal the quality of being active and energetic: she has much more go than I |
| 66. | informal hard or energetic work: it's all go |
| 67. | informal a successful venture or achievement: he made a go of it |
| 68. | informal a bout or attack (of an illness): he had a bad go of flu last winter |
| 69. | informal an unforeseen, usually embarrassing or awkward, turn of events: here's a rum go |
| 70. | informal a bargain or agreement |
| 71. | informal all the go very popular; in fashion |
| 72. | informal from the word go from the very beginning |
| 73. | See get-up-and-go |
| 74. | informal no go impossible; abortive or futile: it's no go, I'm afraid |
| 75. | informal on the go active and energetic |
| —adj | |
| 76. | informal (postpositive) functioning properly and ready for action: esp used in astronautics: all systems are go |
| [Old English gān; related to Old High German gēn, Greek kikhanein to reach, Sanskrit jahāti he forsakes] | |
| GO | |
| —abbreviation for | |
| general order | |
| go for | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to go somewhere in order to have or fetch: he went for a drink; shall I go for a doctor? |
| 2. | to seek to obtain: I'd go for that job if I were you |
| 3. | to apply to: what I told him goes for you too |
| 4. | to prefer or choose; like: I really go for that new idea of yours |
| 5. | to be to the advantage of: you'll have great things going for you in the New Year |
| 6. | to make a physical or verbal attack on |
| 7. | to be considered to be of a stated importance or value: his twenty years went for nothing when he was made redundant |
| 8. | informal go for it to make the maximum effort to achieve a particular goal |
go definition
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GO
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go for
Go in order to get, as in I'll go for the paper, or He went for the doctor. This usage, dating from the late 1500s, gave rise to the 20th-century noun gofer, a person who is habitually sent on routine errands.
Be equivalent to or valued as; also, pass for, serve as. For example, All our efforts are going for very little, or That silver went for a lot of money, or That sofa can go for a bed. [Mid-1500s]
Aim or try for, especially making a vigorous effort. For example, They're going for the league championship. This idiom is also put as go for it, as in When Steve said he'd like to change careers, his wife told him to go for it. The related phrase go for broke means "to commit all one's available resources toward achieving a goal," as in Our competitors are going for broke to get some of our accounts. The first expression dates from the mid-1500s; the two colloquial variants from the first half of the 1900s. Also see all out; go out for.
Attack, as in We have to tie up our dog, because he loves to go for letter carriers. A hyperbolic variant, go for the jugular, is used for an all-out attack on the most vital part, as in In political arguments he always goes for the jugular. The jugular is a blood vessel whose rupture is life-threatening. [Colloquial; late 1800s]
Have a special liking for, as in I really go for progressive jazz. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s]
Be valid for or applicable to, as in Kevin hates broccoli, and that goes for Dean, too. [Early 1900s] Also see have going for one.