go ['gō] -vb, n

  1. to move on a course : proceed
    • go slow
    • went by train
  2. to move out of or away from a place expressed or implied : leave, depart
    • went from school to the party
    • go ing away for vacation
  3. to take a certain course or follow a certain procedure
    • reports go through channels to the president
  4. to pass by means of a process like journeying
    • the message went by wire
  5. to proceed without delay and often in a thoughtless or reckless manner used esp. to intensify a complementary verb
    • why did you go and spoil it
    • go jump in a lake
  6. to extend from point to point or in a certain direction
    • the road go es to the lake
  7. to give access : lead
    • that door go es to the cellar
  8. walk
  9. to be habitually in a certain state or condition
    • go bareheaded
  10. to become lost, consumed, or spent
    • our time has gone
  11. die
  12. to slip away : elapse
    • the evening went quickly
  13. to come to be given up or discarded
    • these slums have to go
  14. to pass by sale
    • went for a good price
  15. to become impaired or weakened
    • his hearing started to go
  16. to give way esp. under great force or pressure : break
    • the roof went
  17. to move along in a specified manner : fare
    • everything was go ing well
  18. to be in general or on an average
    • cheap, as yachts go
  19. to be or become esp. as the result of a contest
    • the election went in her favor
  20. to turn out well : succeed
    • worked hard to make the party go
  21. to apply oneself
    • went to work on the problem
  22. to put or subject oneself
    • went to unnecessary expense
  23. intend
    • I didn't go to do it
  24. to have recourse to another for corroboration, vindication, or decision : resort
    • go to court to recover damages
  25. to begin an action or motion
    • here go es
  26. to maintain or perform a certain action or motion
    • still go ing strong
  27. to function in the proper or expected manner : run
    • the motor won't go
  28. to be known
    • go es by an alias
  29. to act in accordance or harmony
    • a good rule to go by
  30. to come to be determined
    • dreams go by contraries
  31. to come to be applied or appropriated
    • all proceeds go to charity
  32. to pass by award, assignment, or lot
    • the prize went to a sophomore
  33. to contribute to an end or result
    • qualities that go to make a hero
  34. to be of advantage
    • has a lot go ing for her
  35. to be about, intending, or expecting something used in a progressive tense before an infinitive
    • is go ing to leave town
  36. extend
    • his knowledge fails to go very deep
  37. to come or arrive at a certain state or condition
    • go to sleep
  38. to come to be : become
    • the tire went flat
    often used to express conversion to specified values or a specified state
    • gone Hollywood
    • go condo
  39. to undergo a change
    • leaves go from green to red
  40. to be in phrasing or expression : read
    • as the story go es
  41. to be capable of being sung or played
    • the tune go es like this
  42. to be compatible, suitable, or becoming : harmonize
    • the tie go es with his suit
  43. to be capable of passing, extending, or being contained or inserted
    • will these clothes go in your suitcase
  44. to have a usual or proper place or position : belong
    • these books go on the top shelf
  45. to have a tendency : conduce
    • it go es to show
  46. to carry authority
    • what she said went
  47. to be acceptable, satisfactory, or adequate
    • anything go es here
  48. to hold true : be valid
    • the rule go es for you, too
  49. to empty the bladder or bowels
  50. to proceed along or according to : follow
    • if I were go ing his way
    • went the conventional route
  51. to travel through or along : traverse
    • went the length of the street
  52. to make a wager of : bet
    • go a dollar on the outcome
  53. to make an offer of : bid
    • willing to go 50 for the clock
  54. to assume the function or obligation of
    • promised to go bail for his friend
  55. to participate to the extent of
    • decided to go halves on the winnings
  56. yield, weigh
    • this fish go es ten pounds
  57. to put up with : tolerate
    • couldn't go the noise
  58. afford
    • can't go the price
  59. enjoy
    • I could go a soda
  60. to cause (a characteristic sound) to occur
    • the gun went bang
  61. say used chiefly in oral narration of speech
  62. to engage in
    • don't go telling everyone
  63. to have a record of
    • went 11-0 last season
  64. the act or manner of going
  65. the height of fashion : rage
    • elegant shawls labeled...quite the go -- R. S. Surtees
  66. an often unexpected turn of affairs : occurrence
  67. the quantity used or furnished at one time
    • you can obtain a go of brandy for sixpence -- C. B. Fairbanks
  68. energy, vigor
  69. a turn in an activity (as a game)
    • it's your go
  70. attempt, try
    • have a go at painting
  71. a spell of activity
    • finished the job at one go
  72. success
    • made a go of the business
  73. permission to proceed : go-ahead
    • gave the astronauts a go for another orbit
  74. functioning properly : being in good and ready condition
    • declared all systems go
  75. a game played between two players who alternately place black and white stones on a board checkered by 19 vertical lines and 19 horizontal lines in an attempt to enclose the larger area on the board

goad ['gōd] -n

  1. something that pains as if by pricking : thorn
  2. something that urges or stimulates into action : spur
  3. a pointed rod used to urge on an animal
  4. to incite or rouse as if with a goad
  5. to drive (as cattle) with a goad

goahead ['gō-ə-,hed] -adj

  1. marked by energy and enterprise : progressive
    • a vigorous goahead company
  2. indicating that one may proceed
    • goahead signal
  3. being a score that gives a team the lead in a game
    • drove in the goahead run
  4. energy, spirit
  5. one possessing go-ahead
  6. a sign, signal, or authority to proceed : green light

goal ['gōl, chiefly Northern esp in 1b & 3a also 'gül] -n, vi, adj

  1. the terminal point of a race
  2. an area to be reached safely in children's games
  3. the end toward which effort is directed : aim
  4. an area or object toward which players in various games attempt to advance a ball or puck and usu. through or into which it must go to score points
  5. the act or action of causing a ball or puck to go through or into such a goal
  6. the score resulting from such an act

goal·ie ['gō-lē] -n

  1. goalkeeper

goal·keep·er ['gōl-,kē-pər] -n

  1. a player who defends the goal in any of various games (as hockey, lacrosse, or soccer)

goal kick -n

  1. a free kick in soccer awarded to a defensive player when the ball is driven out of bounds over the end line by an opposing player

goal line -n

  1. a line at either end and usu. running the width of a playing area on which a goal or goalpost is situated

goal·mouth ['gōl-,mau̇th] -n

  1. the area directly in front of the goal (as in soccer or hockey)

go along -vi

  1. to move along : proceed
  2. to go or travel as a companion
  3. to act in cooperation or express agreement
    • go along with the crowd

goal·post ['gōl-,pōst] -n

  1. one of usu. two vertical posts that with or without a crossbar constitute the goal in various games

goal·tend·er ['gōl-,ten-dər] -n

  1. goalkeeper

goal·tend·ing [-diŋ] -n

  1. the act of guarding a goal (as in hockey)
  2. a violation in basketball that involves touching or deflecting a ball that is on its downward path toward the basket or on or within the rim of the basket

goal·ward ['gōl-wərd] -adv or adj

  1. toward a goal

go·an·na [gō-'a-nə] -n

  1. any of several large Australian monitor lizards (genus Varanusof the family Varanidae)

goaround ['gō-ə-,rau̇nd] -n

  1. runaround
    • gave me the goaround
  2. round
    • reached an agreement during the first goaround
  3. a heated argument or struggle
    • had a real goaround with her about it
  4. an act or instance of going around (as in an air traffic pattern)

go around -vi

  1. to pass from place to place : go here and there
  2. to have currency : circulate
    • an amusing story is going around
  3. to satisfy demand : fill the need
    • not enough jobs to go around

goat ['gōt] -n, adj

  1. any of various hollow-horned ruminant mammals (esp. of the genus Capra) related to the sheep but of lighter build and with backwardly arching horns, a short tail, and usu. straight hair
  2. one ( Capra hircus) long domesticated for its milk, wool, and flesh
  3. capricorn
  4. a licentious man : lecher
  5. scapegoat

goat cheese -n

  1. any of various cheeses made from goat's milk

goa·tee [gō-'tē] -n, adj

  1. a small pointed or tufted beard on a man's chin

goat·fish ['gōt-,fish] -n

  1. any of a family (Mullidae) of medium-sized often brightly colored bony fishes having two long barbels under the chin, and elongate body, and two widely separated dorsal fins

goat·herd [-,hərd] -n

  1. a person who tends goats

goat·skin [-,skin] -n

  1. the skin of a goat
  2. leather made from goatskin

goat·suck·er [-,sə-kər] -n

  1. nightjar

gob ['gäb] -n

  1. lump
  2. a large amount usu. used in pl.
    • gob s of money
  3. mouth
  4. sailor

gob·bet ['gä-bət] -n

  1. a piece or portion (as of meat)
  2. lump, mass
  3. a small fragment or extract
    • a gobbet of information
  4. a small quantity of liquid : drop

gob·ble ['gä-bəl] -vt

  1. to swallow or eat greedily
  2. to take eagerly : grab usu. used with up
  3. to read rapidly or greedily usu. used with up

gobble [-b(ə-)liŋ] -vi, n

  1. to make the natural guttural noise of a male turkey
  2. to make a sound resembling the gobble of a turkey

gob·ble·dy·gook ['gä-bəl-dē-,gu̇k, -,gük] -n

  1. wordy and generally unintelligible jargon

gob·bler ['gä-blər] -n

  1. a male turkey

gobbler -n

  1. one that gobbles

Go·be·lin ['gō-bə-lən, ,gō-bə-'laⁿ] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of tapestry produced at the Gobelin works in Paris

gobe·tween ['gō-bə-,twēn] -n

  1. an intermediate agent : broker

gob·let ['gäb-lət] -n

  1. a bowl-shaped drinking vessel without handles
  2. a drinking vessel (as of glass) with a foot and stem

goblet cell -n

  1. a mucus-secreting epithelial cell (as of intestinal columnar epithelium) that is distended at the free end

gob·lin ['gäb-lən] -n

  1. an ugly or grotesque sprite that is usu. mischievous and sometimes evil and malicious

go·bo ['gō-(,)bō] -n

  1. a dark strip (as of wallboard) to shield a motion-picture or television camera from light
  2. a device to shield a microphone from sound

go·by ['gō-bē] -n

  1. any of numerous spiny-finned fishes (family Gobiidae) that usu. have the pelvic fins united to form a ventral sucking disk

go by -vi

  1. pass
    • as time goes by

gocart ['gō-,kärt] -n

  1. walker
  2. stroller
  3. handcart
  4. a light open carriage

god ['gäd also 'gȯd] -n

  1. : the supreme or ultimate reality: as
  2. the Being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshipped as creator and ruler of the universe
  3. the incorporeal divine Principle ruling over all as eternal Spirit : infinite Mind
  4. a being or object believed to have more than natural attributes and powers and to require human worship
  5. one controlling a particular aspect or part of reality
  6. a person or thing of supreme value
  7. a powerful ruler
  8. to treat as a god : idolize, deify

godaw·ful [gäd-'ȯ-fəl] -adj

  1. extremely unpleasant or disagreeable : abominable
    • godawful weather

god·child ['gäd-,chīld also 'gȯd-] -n

  1. a person for whom another person becomes sponsor at baptism

god·damn ['gä(d)-'dam] -n

  1. damn
    • they were in no mood to give a good goddamn about anything -- Robert Lowry

goddamn -vb

  1. damn

god·damned [,gä(d)-,damd] -adj or adv

  1. damned

god·daugh·ter ['gäd-,dȯ-tər also 'gȯd-] -n

  1. a female godchild

god·dess ['gä-dəs also 'gȯ-] -n

  1. a female god
  2. a woman whose great charm or beauty arouses adoration

Go·del's theorem ['gō-dəlz-, 'gər-, 'gœ-] -n

  1. a theorem in advanced logic: in any logical system as complex as or more complex than the arithmetic of the integers there can always be found either a statement which can be shown to be both true and false or a statement whose truth or falsity cannot be deduced from other statements in the system called also Godel's incompleteness theorem

go·det [gō-'det, 'gō-,dā] -n

  1. an inset of cloth placed in a seam to give fullness (as at the bottom of a skirt)

go·de·tia [gō-'dē-sh(ē-)ə] -n

  1. clarkia

godev·il ['gō-,de-vəl] -n

  1. : any of various devices: as
  2. a cultivator with wooden runners
  3. a weight formerly dropped in a bored hole (as of an oil well) to set off an explosive
  4. a cleaning scraper propelled through a pipeline
  5. a handcar or small gasoline car used on a railroad
  6. a child's sled

god·fa·ther ['gäd-,fä-thər also 'gȯd-] -n

  1. a man who sponsors a person at baptism
  2. : one having a relation to someone or something analogous to that of a male sponsor to his godchild: as
  3. one that founds, supports, or inspires
    • made him the godfather of a whole generation of rebels -- Times Lit. Supp.
  4. the leader of an organized crime syndicate

godfather -vt

  1. to act as godfather to

Godfear·ing [-,fir-iŋ] -adj

  1. having a reverent feeling toward God : devout

god·for·sak·en [-fər-,sā-kən] -adj

  1. remote, desolate
  2. neglected and miserable in appearance or circumstances

god·head [-,hed] -n

  1. divine nature or essence
  2. god
  3. the nature of God esp. as existing in three persons used with the

god·hood [-,hu̇d] -n

  1. divinity

Go·di·va [gə-'dī-və] -n

  1. an English earl's wife who in legend rode naked through Coventry to save its citizens from a tax

god·less ['gäd-ləs also 'gȯd-] -adj, n

  1. not acknowledging a deity or divine law

god·like [-,līk] -adj, n

  1. resembling or having the qualities of God or a god : divine

god·ling [-liŋ] -n

  1. an inferior or local god

god·ly [-lē] -adj, n, adv

  1. divine
  2. pious, devout

god·moth·er [-,mə-thər] -n

  1. a woman who sponsors a person at baptism

go·down ['gō-,dau̇n] -n

  1. a warehouse in a country of southern or eastern Asia

go down -vi

  1. to go below the horizon : set
    • the sun went down
  2. to fall to or as if to the ground
    • the plane went down in flames
  3. to become submerged : sink
    • the ship went down with all hands
  4. to admit of being swallowed
    • the medicine went down easily
  5. to find acceptance
    • will the plan go down with the farmers
  6. to come to be remembered esp. in posterity
    • will he go down in history as a great president
  7. to leave a university
  8. to undergo defeat or failure
  9. to become incapacitated
    • went down with...acute tonsillitis -- Helen Cathcart
  10. to take place : happen

god·par·ent ['gäd-,per-ənt also 'gȯd-] -n

  1. a sponsor at baptism

God's acre -n

  1. churchyard

god·send ['gäd-,send also 'gȯd-] -n

  1. a desirable or needed thing or event that comes unexpectedly

god·son [-,sən] -n

  1. a male godchild

God·speed [-'spēd] -n

  1. a prosperous journey : success
    • bade him Godspeed

god·wit ['gäd-,wit] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Limosa) of shorebirds that are related to the curlews and sandpipers and have a long slender slightly upturned or straight bill

goes ['gō] -vb, n

(variant of go)

  1. to move on a course : proceed
    • go slow
    • went by train
  2. to move out of or away from a place expressed or implied : leave, depart
    • went from school to the party
    • go ing away for vacation
  3. to take a certain course or follow a certain procedure
    • reports go through channels to the president
  4. to pass by means of a process like journeying
    • the message went by wire
  5. to proceed without delay and often in a thoughtless or reckless manner used esp. to intensify a complementary verb
    • why did you go and spoil it
    • go jump in a lake
  6. to extend from point to point or in a certain direction
    • the road go es to the lake
  7. to give access : lead
    • that door go es to the cellar
  8. walk
  9. to be habitually in a certain state or condition
    • go bareheaded
  10. to become lost, consumed, or spent
    • our time has gone
  11. die
  12. to slip away : elapse
    • the evening went quickly
  13. to come to be given up or discarded
    • these slums have to go
  14. to pass by sale
    • went for a good price
  15. to become impaired or weakened
    • his hearing started to go
  16. to give way esp. under great force or pressure : break
    • the roof went
  17. to move along in a specified manner : fare
    • everything was go ing well
  18. to be in general or on an average
    • cheap, as yachts go
  19. to be or become esp. as the result of a contest
    • the election went in her favor
  20. to turn out well : succeed
    • worked hard to make the party go
  21. to apply oneself
    • went to work on the problem
  22. to put or subject oneself
    • went to unnecessary expense
  23. intend
    • I didn't go to do it
  24. to have recourse to another for corroboration, vindication, or decision : resort
    • go to court to recover damages
  25. to begin an action or motion
    • here go es
  26. to maintain or perform a certain action or motion
    • still go ing strong
  27. to function in the proper or expected manner : run
    • the motor won't go
  28. to be known
    • go es by an alias
  29. to act in accordance or harmony
    • a good rule to go by
  30. to come to be determined
    • dreams go by contraries
  31. to come to be applied or appropriated
    • all proceeds go to charity
  32. to pass by award, assignment, or lot
    • the prize went to a sophomore
  33. to contribute to an end or result
    • qualities that go to make a hero
  34. to be of advantage
    • has a lot go ing for her
  35. to be about, intending, or expecting something used in a progressive tense before an infinitive
    • is go ing to leave town
  36. extend
    • his knowledge fails to go very deep
  37. to come or arrive at a certain state or condition
    • go to sleep
  38. to come to be : become
    • the tire went flat
    often used to express conversion to specified values or a specified state
    • gone Hollywood
    • go condo
  39. to undergo a change
    • leaves go from green to red
  40. to be in phrasing or expression : read
    • as the story go es
  41. to be capable of being sung or played
    • the tune go es like this
  42. to be compatible, suitable, or becoming : harmonize
    • the tie go es with his suit
  43. to be capable of passing, extending, or being contained or inserted
    • will these clothes go in your suitcase
  44. to have a usual or proper place or position : belong
    • these books go on the top shelf
  45. to have a tendency : conduce
    • it go es to show
  46. to carry authority
    • what she said went
  47. to be acceptable, satisfactory, or adequate
    • anything go es here
  48. to hold true : be valid
    • the rule go es for you, too
  49. to empty the bladder or bowels
  50. to proceed along or according to : follow
    • if I were go ing his way
    • went the conventional route
  51. to travel through or along : traverse
    • went the length of the street
  52. to make a wager of : bet
    • go a dollar on the outcome
  53. to make an offer of : bid
    • willing to go 50 for the clock
  54. to assume the function or obligation of
    • promised to go bail for his friend
  55. to participate to the extent of
    • decided to go halves on the winnings
  56. yield, weigh
    • this fish go es ten pounds
  57. to put up with : tolerate
    • couldn't go the noise
  58. afford
    • can't go the price
  59. enjoy
    • I could go a soda
  60. to cause (a characteristic sound) to occur
    • the gun went bang
  61. say used chiefly in oral narration of speech
  62. to engage in
    • don't go telling everyone
  63. to have a record of
    • went 11-0 last season
  64. the act or manner of going
  65. the height of fashion : rage
    • elegant shawls labeled...quite the go -- R. S. Surtees
  66. an often unexpected turn of affairs : occurrence
  67. the quantity used or furnished at one time
    • you can obtain a go of brandy for sixpence -- C. B. Fairbanks
  68. energy, vigor
  69. a turn in an activity (as a game)
    • it's your go
  70. attempt, try
    • have a go at painting
  71. a spell of activity
    • finished the job at one go
  72. success
    • made a go of the business
  73. permission to proceed : go-ahead
    • gave the astronauts a go for another orbit
  74. functioning properly : being in good and ready condition
    • declared all systems go
  75. a game played between two players who alternately place black and white stones on a board checkered by 19 vertical lines and 19 horizontal lines in an attempt to enclose the larger area on the board

goe·thite ['gə(r)-,tīt] -n

  1. a common brown mineral that consists of an iron hydrogen oxide and is the commonest constituent of many forms of natural rust

go·fer ['gō-fər] -n

  1. an employee whose duties include running errands : lackey

gof·fer [also 'gō-] -vt, n

  1. to crimp, plait, or flute (as linen or lace) esp. with a heated iron

goget·ter ['gō-'ge-tər, -,ge-] -n, adj or n

  1. an aggressively enterprising person

gog·gle ['gä-gᵊl] -vi, n

  1. to stare with wide or protuberant eyes

goggle ['gä-gᵊl-ē] -adj

  1. protuberant, staring
    • goggle eyes

gog·gleeye ['gä-gᵊl-,ī] -n

  1. rock bass
  2. warmouth

gog·gleeyed [-,īd] -adj

  1. having bulging or rolling eyes

gog·gles ['gä-gᵊlz] -n pl, adj

  1. protective glasses set in a flexible frame (as of rubber or plastic) that fits snugly against the face
  2. an electronic apparatus that covers the eyes and is used to enhance vision (as at night) or to produce images (as of a virtual reality)

gogo ['gō-(,)gō] -adj

  1. employed to entertain in a disco
    • gogo dancers
  2. of, relating to, or being a disco or the music or dances performed there
  3. marked by spirited or aggressive action
    • gogo baseball
  4. relating to or dealing in popular often speculative investment expected to yield high returns
    • gogo mutual funds
  5. relating to, involved in, or marked by business growth and prosperity and aggressive efforts to turn a quick profit
    • gogo bankers and entrepreneurs...who put together the megabuck deals -- Ken Auletta

Goi·del·ic [gȯi-'de-lik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Gaels
  2. of, relating to, or constituting Goidelic

Goidelic -n

  1. the branch of the Celtic languages that includes Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx

go in -vi

  1. to make an approach (as in attacking)
  2. to take part in a game or contest
  3. to call the opening bet in poker : stay
  4. to become obscured by a cloud
  5. to form a union or alliance : join often used with with
    • asked us to go in with them

go·ing ['gō-iŋ, 'gȯ(-)iŋ] -n

  1. an act or instance of going
  2. behavior, actions
    • for his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his going s -- Job 34:21 (AV)
  3. the condition of the ground (as for walking)
  4. advance toward an objective
    • when the going gets tough

going -adj

  1. that goes often used in combination
    • easy going
    • out going
  2. working, moving
    • everything was in going order
  3. living, existing
    • the best novelist going
  4. current, prevailing
    • going price
  5. conducting business with the expectation of indefinite continuance
    • a going concern

go·ingover [,gō-iŋ-'ō-vər, ,gȯ(-)iŋ-] -n

  1. a severe scolding
  2. beating
  3. a thorough examination

go·ingson [,gō-iŋ-'zȯn, ,gȯ(-)iŋ-, -'zän] -n pl

  1. actions, events
  2. irregular or reprehensible happenings or conduct

goi·ter ['gȯi-tər] -n, adj

  1. an enlargement of the thyroid gland visible as a swelling of the front of the neck

goi·tre ['gȯi-tər] -n, adj

(variant of goiter)

  1. an enlargement of the thyroid gland visible as a swelling of the front of the neck

goi·tro·gen ['gȯi-trə-jən] -n

  1. a substance (as thiourea or thiouracil) that induces goiter formation

goi·tro·gen·ic [,gȯi-trə-'je-nik] -adj, n

  1. producing or tending to produce goiter

go·ji ['gō-'jē] -n

  1. the dark red mildly tart berry of a thorny chiefly Asian shrub ( Lycium barbarum) that is typically dried and used in beverages

gokart ['gō-,kärt] -n

  1. a small motorized vehicle used esp. for racing

Gol·con·da [gäl-'kän-də] -n

  1. a rich mine
  2. a source of great wealth

gold ['gōld] -n

  1. a yellow malleable ductile metallic element that occurs chiefly free or in a few minerals and is used esp. in coins, jewelry, and dentures
  2. gold coins
  3. a gold piece
  4. money
  5. gold standard
  6. a variable color averaging deep yellow
  7. something resembling gold
  8. something valued as the finest of its kind
    • a heart of gold
  9. a medal awarded as the first prize in a competition : a gold medal
  10. qualifying for a gold record

gold·brick ['gōl(d)-,brik] -n

  1. a worthless brick that appears to be of gold
  2. something that appears to be valuable but is actually worthless
  3. a person who shirks assigned work

goldbrick -vt

  1. swindle
  2. to shirk duty or responsibility

gold·bug [-,bəg] -n

  1. a supporter of the gold standard
  2. a person who invests in or hoards gold

gold coast -n

  1. an exclusive residential district

gold digger -n

  1. one who digs for gold
  2. a person who uses charm to extract money or gifts from others

gold·en ['gōl-dən] -adj, adv, n

  1. consisting of, relating to, or containing gold
  2. being or having the color gold or the color of gold
  3. blond
  4. lustrous, shining
  5. of a high degree of excellence : superb
  6. prosperous, flourishing
    • golden days
  7. radiantly youthful and vigorous
  8. having talents that promise great success often used with boy
  9. highly favored : popular
  10. favorable, advantageous
    • a golden opportunity
  11. of, relating to, or being a 50th anniversary or its celebration
  12. mellow, resonant
    • a smooth golden tenor

golden age -n

  1. a period of great happiness, prosperity, and achievement

gold·enag·er ['gōl-dən-'ā-jər] -n

  1. an elderly and often retired person usu. engaging in club activities

golden al·ex·an·ders [-,a-lig-'zan-dərz, -,e-lig-] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a No. American yellow-flowered perennial herb ( Zizia aurea) of the carrot family occurring in moist woods and meadows
  2. any of several related herbs

goldenbrown alga -n

  1. any of a division (Chrysophyta) of marine and freshwater algae (as diatoms) containing yellowish-green to golden-brown pigments that obscure the chlorophyll called also chrysophyte golden alga

golden club -n

  1. a No. American aquatic plant ( Orontium aquaticum) of the arum family with a spadix of tiny yellow flowers

golden eagle -n

  1. a dark brown eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos) of the northern hemisphere with gold-colored feathers on the back of the head and neck, a gray beak, and yellow legs and feet

gold·en·eye ['gōl-dən-,ī] -n

  1. either of two diving ducks (genus Bucephala) with small yellow eyes
  2. a large-headed swift-flying Holarctic diving duck ( B. clangula) with the male having a green head and striking black-and-white markings
  3. a lacewing (family Chrysopidae) with yellow eyes

Golden Fleece -n

  1. a fleece of gold placed by the king of Colchis in a dragon-guarded grove and recovered by the Argonauts

golden glow -n

  1. a tall branching composite herb ( Rudbeckia laciniata hortensia) with showy yellow flower heads

golden hamster -n

  1. a small tawny hamster ( Mesocricetus auratus) native chiefly to Syria and often kept as a pet or used as a laboratory animal called also Syrian hamster

golden handcuffs -n pl

  1. special benefits offered to an employee as an inducement to continue service

golden handshake -n

  1. a generous severance agreement given esp. as an inducement to early retirement

Golden Horde -n

  1. a body of Mongols that overran eastern Europe in the 13th century and dominated Russia until 1486

golden lion tamarin -n

  1. a tamarin ( Leontopithecus rosalia) with a reddish-gold coat and mane that occurs in remnants of tropical forest in southeastern Brazil

golden mean -n

  1. the medium between extremes : moderation

golden nematode -n

  1. a small yellowish nematode worm ( Globodera rostochiensissyn. Heterodera rostochiensis) prob. of So. American origin that is a pest of solanaceous crops and esp. potatoes

golden oldie -n

  1. one that was a hit or favorite in the past

golden parachute -n

  1. a generous severance agreement for a corporate executive in the event of a sudden dismissal (as because of a merger)

golden plover -n

  1. any of three plovers (genus Pluvialis) having dark upperparts spotted with gold
  2. one ( P. dominica) that breeds chiefly in arctic America and winters in So. America

golden rain tree -n

  1. an Asian tree ( Koelreuteria paniculataof the family Sapindaceae) that has a rounded crown with very long showy clusters of yellow flowers

golden retriever -n

  1. any of a breed of medium-sized retrievers having a flat moderately long golden coat

gold·en·rod ['gōl-dən-,räd] -n

  1. any of numerous chiefly No. American composite perennial herbs (genus Solidago) with small heads of usu. yellow late-blooming flowers often clustered in panicles compare rayless goldenrod

golden rule -n

  1. a rule of ethical conduct referring to Mt 7:12 and Lk 6:31: do to others as you would have them do to you
  2. a guiding principle

gold·en·seal ['gōl-dən-,sēl] -n

  1. a perennial No. American herb ( Hydrastis canadensis) of the buttercup family with large leaves and a thick knotted yellow rhizome sometimes used medicinally

golden section -n

  1. a proportion (as one involving a line divided into two segments or the length and width of a rectangle and their sum) in which the ratio of the whole to the larger part is the same as the ratio of the larger part to the smaller

golden shiner -n

  1. a small common cyprinid fish ( Notemigonus crysoleucas) of eastern No. America having silvery sides with bright golden reflections and often used as bait

golden shower -n

  1. the act of urinating on another person usu. as part of a sex act

golden syrup -n

  1. treacle

golden trout -n

  1. a brightly colored golden-yellow trout ( Oncorhynchus aguabonitasyn. Salmo aguabonita) with red markings on the sides and belly that is native to waters of the southern Sierra Nevada but has been introduced in other upland waters of western No. America

golden years -n pl

  1. the advanced years in a lifetime
    • active well into their golden years

gold·field ['gōl(d)-,fēld] -n

  1. a gold-mining district

goldfilled [-'fild] -adj

  1. consisting of a base metal covered with a layer of gold
    • a goldfilled bracelet

gold·finch [-,finch] -n

  1. a small Palearctic finch ( Carduelis carduelisof the family Fringillidae) with a red, white, and black head and yellow and black wings
  2. any of three small related American finches (genus Carduelis,esp. C. tristis) having the breeding plumage of the male yellow with black markings on the wings, tail, and crown

gold·fish [-,fish] -n

  1. a small usu. golden-orange Asian cyprinid fish ( Carassius auratus) often kept as an aquarium and pond fish

goldfish bowl -n

  1. a place or situation offering no privacy

gold leaf -n

  1. an extremely thin sheet of gold that is used esp. for gilding

gold mine -n

  1. a rich source of something desired

gold of pleasure

  1. a European herb ( Camelina sativa) of the mustard family that is cultivated for its oil-rich seeds

gold record -n

  1. a gold phonograph record awarded to a singer or group whose single record or album has sold at least 500,000 copies

gold rush [-'rə-shər] -n

  1. a rush to newly discovered goldfields in pursuit of riches
  2. the headlong pursuit of sudden wealth in a new or lucrative field

gold·smith ['gōl(d)-,smith] -n

  1. one who makes or deals in articles of gold

gold standard -n

  1. a monetary standard under which the basic unit of currency is defined by a stated quantity of gold and which is usu. characterized by the coinage and circulation of gold, unrestricted convertibility of other money into gold, and the free export and import of gold for settling of international obligations
  2. benchmark

gold·stone ['gōl(d)-,stōn] -n

  1. aventurine glass spangled close and fine with particles of gold-colored material

go·lem ['gō-ləm, 'gȯi-, 'gā-] -n

  1. an artificial human being in Hebrew folklore endowed with life
  2. : something or someone resembling a golem: as
  3. automaton
  4. blockhead

golf ['gälf, 'gȯlf, 'gäf, 'gȯf sometimes 'gəlf] -n, vi

  1. a game in which a player using special clubs attempts to sink a ball with as few strokes as possible into each of the 9 or 18 successive holes on a course

Golf

  1. a communications code word for the letter g

golf ball -n

  1. a small hard dimpled ball used in golf
  2. the spherical printing element of an electric typewriter or printer

golf cart -n

  1. a small cart for wheeling a golf bag around a golf course
  2. a motorized cart for carrying golfers and their equipment over a golf course called also golf car

golf course -n

  1. an area of land laid out for golf with a series of 9 or 18 holes each including tee, fairway, and putting green and often one or more natural or artificial hazards called also golf links

Gol·gi ['gȯl-(,)jē] -adj

  1. of or relating to the Golgi apparatus, Golgi bodies, or a method of staining nerve tissue
    • Golgi vesicles

Golgi apparatus -n

  1. a cytoplasmic organelle that consists of a stack of smooth membranous saccules and associated vesicles and that is active in the modification and transport of proteins called also Golgi complex

Golgi body -n

  1. golgi apparatus
  2. dictyosome

go·liard ['gōl-yərd, -,yärd] -n, adj

  1. a wandering student of the 12th or 13th century given to the writing of satiric Latin verse and to convivial living and minstrelsy

Go·li·ath [gə-'lī-əth] -n

  1. a Philistine champion who in I Samuel 17 is killed by David
  2. giant

gol·li·wog ['gä-lē-,wäg] -n

  1. a grotesque black doll
  2. a person resembling a golliwog

gol·ly ['gä-lē] -interj

  1. used as a mild oath or to express surprise usu. used in the phrase by golly

Go·mor·rah [gə-'mȯr-ə] -n

  1. a place notorious for vice and corruption

gon- -comb form

  1. sexual : generative : semen : seed
    • gono cyte

go·nad ['gō-,nad] -n, adj

  1. a reproductive gland (as an ovary or testis) that produces gametes

go·nad·ec·to·my [,gō-nə-'dek-tə-mē] -n, adj

  1. surgical removal of an ovary or testis

go·nad·o·trop·ic [gō-,na-də-'trä-pik] -adj

  1. acting on or stimulating the gonads

go·nad·o·tro·pin [-'trō-pən] -n

  1. a gonadotropic hormone (as follicle-stimulating hormone)

gonadotropinreleasing hormone -n

  1. a hormone secreted by the hypothalamus that stimulates the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland to release gonadotropins (as luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone) abbr. GnRH called also luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone

Gond ['gänd] -n

  1. a member of a Dravidian or pre-Dravidian people of central India

Gondi ['gän-dē] -n

  1. the Dravidian language of the Gonds

gon·do·la ['gän-də-lə (usual for sense 1), gän-'dō-] -n

  1. a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with a high prow and stern used on the canals of Venice
  2. a heavy flat-bottomed boat used on New England rivers and on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers
  3. a railroad car with no top, a flat bottom, and fixed sides that is used chiefly for hauling heavy bulk commodities
  4. an elongated car attached to the underside of an airship
  5. an often spherical airtight enclosure suspended from a balloon for carrying passengers or instruments
  6. an enclosed car suspended from a cable and used for transporting passengers
  7. one used as a ski lift

gon·do·lier [,gän-də-'lir] -n

  1. one who propels a Venetian gondola

gone ['gȯn also 'gän] -adj

  1. lost, ruined
    • lost looks and gone faculties -- Penelope Gilliatt
  2. dead
  3. characterized by sinking or dropping
    • the empty or gone feeling in the abdomen so common in elevators -- H. G. Armstrong
  4. involved, absorbed
    • far gone in hysteria
  5. possessed with a strong attachment or a foolish or unreasoning love or desire : infatuated often used with on
    • was real gone on that man -- Pete Martin
  6. pregnant
    • she's six months gone
  7. past
    • memories of gone summers -- John Cheever
  8. great
    • a real gone fashion reporter -- Inez Robb

gon·er ['gȯ-nər also 'gä-nər] -n

  1. one whose case is hopeless

gon·fa·lon ['gän-fə-,län, -lən] -n

  1. the ensign of certain princes or states (as the medieval republics of Italy)
  2. a flag that hangs from a crosspiece or frame

gong ['gäŋ, 'gȯŋ] -n, vi

  1. a disk-shaped percussion instrument that produces a resounding tone when struck with a usu. padded hammer
  2. a saucer-shaped bell (as in a fire alarm) that is struck by a mechanical hammer
  3. a wire rod wound in a flat spiral for sounding the time or chime or alarm (as in a clock)
  4. medal

Gon·go·rism ['gäŋ-gə-,ri-zəm] -n, adj

  1. a literary style characterized by studied obscurity and by the use of various ornate devices

go·nid·i·um [gō-'ni-dē-əm] -n

  1. an asexual reproductive cell or group of cells esp. in algae (as volvox)

gonif ['gä-nəf] -n

(variant of ganef)

  1. thief, rascal

go·ni·om·e·ter [,gō-nē-'ä-mə-tər] -n, adj

  1. an instrument for measuring angles
  2. direction finder

gon·o·coc·cus [,gä-nə-'kä-kəs] -n, adj

  1. a pus-producing bacterium ( Neisseria gonorrhoeae) that causes gonorrhea

gonogo ['gō-'nō-,gō] -adj

  1. being or relating to a required decision to continue or stop a course of action
  2. being or relating to a point at which a go-no-go decision must be made

gon·o·phore ['gä-nə-,fȯr] -n

  1. an attached reproductive zooid of a hydroid colony

gon·o·pore ['gä-nə-,pȯr] -n

  1. a genital pore in some invertebrates and esp. some insects

gon·or·rhea [,gä-nə-'rē-ə] -n, adj

  1. a contagious inflammation of the genital mucous membrane caused by the gonococcus called also clap

gon·zo ['gän-(,)zō] -adj

  1. idiosyncratically subjective but engage
    • gonzo journalism
  2. bizarre
  3. freewheeling or unconventional esp. to the point of outrageousness
    • a gonzo comedian

goo ['gü] -n, adj

  1. a viscid or sticky substance
  2. sentimental tripe

goo·ber ['gü-bər, 'gu̇-] -n

  1. peanut

goober -n

  1. a naive, ignorant, or foolish person

good ['gu̇d] -adj

  1. of a favorable character or tendency
    • good news
  2. bountiful, fertile
    • good land
  3. handsome, attractive
    • good looks
  4. suitable, fit
    • good to eat
  5. free from injury or disease
    • one good arm
  6. not depreciated
    • bad money drives out good
  7. commercially sound
    • a good risk
  8. that can be relied on
    • good for another year
    • good for a hundred dollars
    • always good for a laugh
  9. profitable, advantageous
    • made a very good deal
  10. agreeable, pleasant
    • had a good time
  11. salutary, wholesome
    • good for a cold
  12. amusing, clever
    • a good joke
  13. of a noticeably large size or quantity : considerable
    • won by a good margin
    • a good bit of the time
  14. full
    • waited a good hour
  15. used as an intensive
    • a good many of us
  16. well-founded, cogent
    • good reasons
  17. true
    • holds good for society at large
  18. deserving of respect : honorable
    • in good standing
  19. legally valid or effectual
    • good title
  20. adequate, satisfactory
    • good care
    often used in faint praise
    • his serve is only good -- Frank Deford
  21. conforming to a standard
    • good English
  22. choice, discriminating
    • good taste
  23. containing less fat and being less tender than higher grades used of meat and esp. of beef
  24. virtuous, right, commendable
    • a good person
    • good conduct
  25. kind, benevolent
    • good intentions
  26. upper-class
    • a good family
  27. competent, skillful
    • a good doctor
  28. loyal
    • a good party man
    • a good Catholic
  29. close
    • a good friend
  30. free from infirmity or sorrow
    • I feel good
  31. something that is good
  32. something conforming to the moral order of the universe
  33. praiseworthy character : goodness
  34. a good element or portion
  35. advancement of prosperity or well-being
    • the good of the community
    • it's for your own good
  36. something useful or beneficial
    • it's no good trying
  37. something that has economic utility or satisfies an economic want
  38. personal property having intrinsic value but usu. excluding money, securities, and negotiable instruments
  39. cloth
  40. something manufactured or produced for sale : wares, merchandise
    • canned good s
  41. freight
  42. good persons used with the
  43. the qualities required to achieve an end
  44. proof of wrongdoing
    • didn't have the good s on him -- T. G. Cooke
  45. well
    • he showed me how good I was doing -- Herbert Gold
  46. used as an intensive
    • a good long time

good book -n

  1. bible

goodbye [gu̇d-'bī, gə(d)-] -n

  1. a concluding remark or gesture at parting often used interjectionally
  2. a taking of leave
    • a tearful goodbye

good cholesterol -n

  1. HDL

good deal -n

  1. a considerable quantity or extent : lot
    • knows a good deal about disease
    • a good deal faster

good faith -n

  1. honesty or lawfulness of purpose

good fellow ['gu̇d-'fe-lō-,ship, -'fe-lə-] -n

  1. an affable companionable person

goodfornoth·ing ['gu̇d-fər-,nə-thiŋ] -adj, n

  1. of no use or value

Good Friday -n

  1. the Friday before Easter observed in churches as the anniversary of the crucifixion of Christ and in some states of the U.S. as a legal holiday

goodheart·ed ['gu̇d-'här-təd] -adj, adv, n

  1. having a kindly generous disposition

goodhu·mored [-'(h)yü-mərd] -adj, adv, n

  1. good-natured, cheerful

good life -n

  1. a life marked by a high standard of living

goodlook·ing ['gu̇d-'lu̇-kiŋ] -adj, n

  1. having a pleasing or attractive appearance

good·ly ['gu̇d-lē] -adj

  1. pleasantly attractive
  2. significantly large : considerable
    • a goodly number

good·man ['gu̇d-mən] -n

  1. the master of a household
  2. mr.

goodna·tured [-'nā-chərd] -adj, adv, n

  1. of a pleasant and cooperative disposition

goodneighbor -adj

  1. marked by principles of friendship, cooperation, and noninterference in the internal affairs of another country
    • a goodneighbor policy

good·ness ['gu̇d-nəs] -n

  1. the quality or state of being good
  2. used interjectionally or in phrases esp. to express mild surprise or shock
    • oh, my goodness
    • goodness knows
  3. the nutritious, flavorful, or beneficial part of something

goodness of fit

  1. the conformity between an experimental result and theoretical expectation or between data and an approximating curve

good offices -n pl

  1. services as a mediator

good old boy ['gu̇d-ōl(d)-,bȯi] -n

  1. a usu. white Southerner who conforms to the values, culture, or behavior of his peers

Good Samaritan -n

  1. samaritan

goodtem·pered ['gu̇d-'tem-pərd] -adj, adv, n

  1. not easily angered or upset

good·wife ['gu̇d-,wīf] -n

  1. the mistress of a household
  2. mrs.

good·will [,gu̇d-'wil] -n, adj

  1. a kindly feeling of approval and support : benevolent interest or concern
  2. the favor or advantage that a business has acquired esp. through its brands and its good reputation
  3. the value of projected earnings increases of a business esp. as part of its purchase price
  4. the excess of the purchase price of a company over its book value which represents the value of goodwill as an intangible asset for accounting purposes
  5. cheerful consent
  6. willing effort

goody ['gu̇-dē] -n

  1. a usu. married woman of lowly station used as a title preceding a surname
  2. something that is particularly attractive, pleasurable, good, or desirable
  3. one that is good
  4. an opponent of the villain (as in a motion picture)

goodygoody [,gu̇-dē-'gu̇-dē] -adj, n

  1. affectedly or ingratiatingly good or proper

Goody Twoshoes ['gu̇-dē-'tü-,shüz] -n, adj

  1. a person who is goody-goody
  2. a person who is uncommonly good

goof ['güf] -n

  1. a silly or stupid person
  2. blunder
  3. to spend time idly or foolishly usu. used with off
    • goof ing off instead of working
  4. to engage in playful activity usu. used with around
    • goof ing around after school
  5. to make a usu. foolish or careless mistake : blunder often used with up
  6. to make a mess of : bungle usu. used with up
    • goof ed up the assignment

goof·ball ['güf-,bȯl] -n

  1. a barbiturate sleeping pill
  2. a goofy person

go off -vi

  1. explode
  2. to burst forth or break out suddenly or noisily
  3. to go forth, out, or away : leave
  4. to undergo decline or deterioration
  5. to follow the expected or desired course : proceed
    • the party went off well
  6. to make a characteristic noise : sound
    • could hear the alarm going off

goofoff ['güf-,ȯf] -n

  1. one who evades work or responsibility

goofy ['gü-fē] -adj, adv, n

  1. being crazy, ridiculous, or mildly ludicrous : silly
    • a goofy sense of humor
    • that hat looks goofy

goo·gle ['gü-gəl] -vt

  1. to use the Google search engine to obtain information about (as a person) on the World Wide Web

goo·glyeyed ['gü-glē-,īd] -adj

  1. goggle-eyed

goo·gol ['gü-,gȯl] -n

  1. the figure 1 followed by 100 zeros equal to 10 100

goo·gol·plex [-,pleks] -n

  1. the figure 1 followed by a googol of zeros equal to

googoo ['gü-(,)gü] -adj

  1. loving, enticing used chiefly in the phrase goo-goo eyes
  2. a member or advocate of a political reform movement

gook ['gük] -n

  1. a nonwhite or non-American person
  2. asian

gook ['gək] -n

(variant of guck)

  1. oozy sloppy dirt or debris
  2. goo, gunk

goom·bah ['güm-,bä] -n

  1. a close friend or associate used esp. among Italian-American men
  2. a member of a secret chiefly Italian-American crime organization : mafioso
  3. gangster
  4. a macho Italian-American man

goon ['gün] -n

  1. a stupid person
  2. a man hired to terrorize or eliminate opponents
  3. enforcer

go on -vi

  1. to continue on or as if on a journey
    • life goes on
    • went on to greater things
  2. to keep on : continue
    • went on smoking
  3. proceed
    • went on to win the election
  4. to take place : happen
    • what's going on
  5. to talk esp. in an effusive manner
    • the way people go on about their ancestors -- Hamilton Basso

goo·ney ['gü-nē] -n

  1. black-footed albatross
  2. albatross

goop ['güp] -n, adj

  1. goo, gunk

goo·san·der [gü-'san-dər] -n

  1. the common merganser ( Mergus merganser) of the northern hemisphere

goose ['güs] -n

  1. any of numerous large waterfowl (family Anatidae) that are intermediate between the swans and ducks and have long necks, feathered lores, and reticulate tarsi
  2. a female goose as distinguished from a gander
  3. simpleton, dolt
  4. a tailor's smoothing iron with a gooseneck handle
  5. a poke between the buttocks
  6. to poke between the buttocks with an upward thrust
  7. to increase the activity, speed, power, intensity, or amount of : spur
    • an effort to goose newsstand sales

goose·ber·ry ['güs-,ber-ē, 'güz-, -b(ə-)rē, chiefly Brit 'gu̇z-] -n

  1. the acid usu. prickly fruit of any of several shrubs (genus Ribes,esp. R. hirtellumof the U.S. and R. uva-crispaof Europe) grouped esp. formerly in the saxifrage family but now often placed in a separate family (Grossulariaceae, the gooseberry family)
  2. a shrub bearing gooseberries
  3. currant

goose bumps -n pl

  1. a roughness of the skin produced by erection of its papillae esp. from cold, fear, or a sudden feeling of excitement

goose egg -n

  1. zero, nothing
  2. a score of zero in a game or contest

goose·fish ['güs-,fish] -n

  1. any of a family (Lophiidae) of pediculate fishes with a large flattened head, a fringe of flaps along each side of the lower jaw, head, and body, and a long stalk on the head with a flap of flesh at the tip for attracting prey
  2. monkfish

goose·flesh ['güs-,flesh] -n

  1. goose bumps

goose·foot [-,fu̇t] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Chenopodium) or family (Chenopodiaceae, the goosefoot family) of glabrous herbs with fruit that is a utricle

goose·grass [-,gras] -n

  1. cleavers
  2. yard grass

goose·neck ['güs-,nek] -n, adj

  1. something (as a flexible jointed metal pipe) curved like the neck of a goose or U-shaped
  2. a truck trailer (as for transporting livestock) with a projecting front end designed to attach to the bed of a pickup truck

goose pimples -n pl

  1. goose bumps

goosestep ['güs-,step] -vi

  1. to march in a goose step
  2. to practice an unthinking conformity

goose step -n

  1. a straight-legged stiff-kneed step used by troops of some armies when passing in review

goos·ey ['gü-sē] -adj

  1. resembling a goose
  2. affected with goose bumps : scared
  3. very nervous
  4. reacting strongly when goosed or startled

go out -vi

  1. to go forth, abroad, or outdoors
  2. to leave one's house
  3. to take the field as a soldier
  4. to participate as a principal in a duel
  5. to travel as or as if a colonist or immigrant
  6. to work away from home
  7. to come to an end
  8. to give up office : resign
  9. to become obsolete or unfashionable
  10. to play the last card of one's hand
  11. to reach or exceed the total number of points required for game in cards
  12. to take part in social activities
  13. to go on strike
  14. break, collapse
  15. to become a candidate
    • went out for the football team

go over -vi

  1. to make one's way
    • going over to the store for supplies
  2. to become converted
  3. to win approval : succeed
    • glad it went over
  4. to be received
    • the film went over well

GOP -abbr

  1. Grand Old Party (Republican)

GOPer [,jē-(,)ō-'pē-ər] -n

  1. a member of the GOP

go·pher ['gō-fər] -n

  1. a burrowing land tortoise ( Gopherus polyphemus) of the southern U.S.
  2. any of several related land tortoises called also gopher tortoise
  3. any of a family (Geomyidae) of burrowing rodents of western No. America, Central America, and the southern U.S. that are the size of a large rat and have large cheek pouches opening beside the mouth called also pocket gopher
  4. any of several small ground squirrels (genus Spermophilus) of the prairie region of No. America
  5. gopher ball

gopher ['gō-fər] -n

(variant of gofer)

  1. an employee whose duties include running errands : lackey

gopher ball -n

  1. a pitched baseball hit for a home run

gopher snake -n

  1. indigo snake
  2. bull snake

go·pik [gō-'pēk, -'pik] -n

  1. see manat at

Gor·di·an knot ['gȯr-dē-ən-] -n

  1. an intricate problem
  2. a problem insoluble in its own terms often used in the phrase cut the Gordian knot
  3. a knot tied by Gordius, king of Phrygia, held to be capable of being untied only by the future ruler of Asia, and cut by Alexander the Great with his sword

gor·di·ta [gȯr-'dē-tə] -n

  1. a deep-fried pocket of cornmeal dough filled with a savory mixture

Gor·don setter ['gȯr-dᵊn-] -n

  1. any of a breed of large bird dogs of Scottish origin that have a long flat black-and-tan coat

gore ['gȯr] -n

  1. a small usu. triangular piece of land
  2. a tapering or triangular piece (as of cloth in a skirt)
  3. an elastic gusset for providing a snug fit in a shoe
  4. to cut into a tapering triangular form
  5. to provide with a gore
  6. to pierce or wound with something pointed (as a horn or knife)
    • gored by a bull
  7. blood
  8. clotted blood
  9. gruesomeness depicted in vivid detail

gorge ['gȯrj] -n

  1. throat often used with rise to indicate revulsion accompanied by a sensation of constriction
    • my gorge rises at the sight of blood
  2. a hawk's crop
  3. stomach, belly
  4. the entrance into an outwork (as a bastion) of a fort
  5. a narrow passage through land
  6. a narrow steep-walled canyon or part of a canyon
  7. a primitive device used instead of a fishhook that consists of an object (as a piece of bone attached in the middle of a line) easy to swallow but difficult to eject
  8. a mass choking a passage
    • a river dammed by an ice gorge
  9. the line on the front of a coat or jacket formed by the crease of the lapel and collar
  10. to eat greedily or to repletion
  11. to partake of something in large amounts
    • gorging on books
  12. to stuff to capacity : glut
  13. to fill completely or to the point of distension
    • veins gorged with blood
  14. to consume greedily
  15. the act or an instance of gorging

gor·geous ['gȯr-jəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. splendidly or showily brilliant or magnificent

gor·get ['gȯr-jət] -n

  1. a piece of armor protecting the throat
  2. an ornamental collar
  3. a part of a wimple covering the throat and shoulders
  4. a specially colored patch on the throat

gor·gon ['gȯr-gən] -n, adj

  1. any of three snake-haired sisters in Greek mythology whose appearance turns the beholder to stone
  2. an ugly or repulsive woman

gor·go·ni·an [gȯr-'gō-nē-ən] -n, adj

  1. any of an order (Gorgonacea) of colonial anthozoans with a usu. horny and branching axial skeleton

gor·gon·ize ['gȯr-gə-,nīz] -vt

  1. to have a paralyzing or mesmerizing effect on : stupefy, petrify

Gor·gon·zo·la [,gȯr-gən-'zō-lə] -n

  1. a pungent blue cheese of Italian origin

go·ril·la [gə-'ri-lə] -n

  1. a very large typically black-colored anthropoid ape ( Gorilla gorilla) of equatorial Africa that has a stocky body with broad shoulders and long arms and is less erect and has smaller ears than the chimpanzee
  2. an ugly or brutal man
  3. thug, goon

gor·man·dise ['gȯr-mən-,dīz] -vb, n

(variant of gormandize)

  1. to eat gluttonously or ravenously
  2. to eat greedily : devour

gor·man·dize ['gȯr-mən-,dīz] -vb, n

  1. to eat gluttonously or ravenously
  2. to eat greedily : devour

gorm·less ['gȯrm-ləs] -adj, n

  1. lacking intelligence : stupid

goround ['gō-,rau̇nd] -n

  1. one of a series of recurring actions or events : round

gorp ['gȯrp] -n

  1. a snack consisting of high-energy food (as raisins and nuts)

gorse ['gȯrs] -n, adj

  1. a spiny yellow-flowered European shrub ( Ulex europaeus) of the legume family
  2. any of several related plants (genera Ulexand Genista)

gory ['gȯr-ē] -adj

  1. covered with gore : bloodstained
  2. bloodcurdling, sensational
    • wanted to hear the gory details

gosh ['gäsh, 'gȯsh] -interj

  1. used as a mild oath or to express surprise

gos·hawk ['gäs-,hȯk] -n

  1. any of several long-tailed hawks with short rounded wings
  2. a large accipiter ( Accipiter gentilis) of the northern hemisphere that is grayish-blue above with a barred white-and-gray underside and has a white stripe above and behind the eye

gos·ling ['gäz-liŋ, 'gȯz-, -lən] -n

  1. a young goose
  2. a foolish or callow person

goslow [,gō-'slō] -n

  1. slowdown

gos·pel ['gäs-pəl] -n, adj

  1. the message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation
  2. one of the first four New Testament books telling of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
  3. a similar apocryphal book
  4. an interpretation of the Christian message
    • the social gospel
  5. a lection from one of the New Testament Gospels
  6. the message or teachings of a religious teacher
  7. something accepted or promoted as infallible truth or as a guiding principle or doctrine
    • took her words as gospel
    • spreading the gospel of conservation -- R. M. Hodesh
  8. gospel music

gospel -adj

  1. having a basis in or being in accordance with the gospel : evangelical
    • ordained to the gospel ministry -- Christian Century
  2. marked by special or fervid emphasis on the gospel
    • a gospel meeting
  3. of, relating to, or being religious songs of American origin associated with evangelism and popular devotion and marked by simple melody and harmony and elements of folk songs and blues

gos·pel·er ['gäs-p(ə-)lər] -n

  1. a person who reads or sings the liturgical Gospel
  2. a person who preaches or propounds a gospel

gospel side -n

  1. the left side of an altar or chancel as one faces it

gos·sa·mer ['gä-sə-mər also 'gäz-mər, 'gä-zə-] -n, adj

  1. a film of cobwebs floating in air in calm clear weather
  2. something light, delicate, or insubstantial
    • the gossamer of youth's dreams -- Andrea Parke

gossamer -adj

  1. extremely light, delicate, or tenuous

gos·san ['gä-sᵊn] -n

  1. decomposed rock or vein material of reddish or rusty color that results from oxidized pyrites

gos·sip ['gä-səp] -n

  1. godparent
  2. companion, crony
  3. a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others
  4. rumor or report of an intimate nature
  5. a chatty talk
  6. the subject matter of gossip

gossip -vi, n

  1. to relate gossip

gos·sip·mon·ger ['gä-səp-,məŋ-gər, -,mäŋ-] -n

  1. a person who starts or spreads gossip

gos·sipy ['gä-sə-pē] -adj

  1. characterized by, full of, or given to gossip
    • a gossipy letter
    • gossipy neighbors

gos·sy·pol ['gä-sə-,pȯl, -,pōl] -n

  1. a toxic phenolic pigment C 30H 30O 8in cottonseed

got ['get, ÷'git] -vb

(variant of get)

  1. to gain possession of
  2. to receive as a return : earn
    • he got a bad reputation for carelessness
  3. to obtain by concession or entreaty
    • get your mother's permission to go
  4. to become affected by (a disease or bodily condition) : catch
    • got measles from his sister
  5. to seek out and obtain
    • hoped to get dinner at the inn
  6. to obtain and bring where wanted or needed
    • get a pencil from the desk
  7. beget
  8. to cause to come or go
    • quickly got his luggage through customs
  9. to cause to move
    • get it out of the house
  10. to cause to be in a certain position or condition
    • got his feet wet
  11. to make ready : prepare
    • get breakfast
  12. to be subjected to
    • got a bad fall
  13. to receive by way of punishment
  14. to suffer a specified injury to
    • got my nose broken
  15. to achieve as a result of military activity
  16. to obtain or receive by way of benefit or advantage
    • he got little for his trouble
    • get the better of an enemy
  17. seize
  18. overcome
  19. to have an emotional effect on
    • the final scene always get s me
  20. irritate
    • the delays were starting to get her
  21. puzzle
  22. to take vengeance on
  23. kill
  24. hit
  25. to prevail on : cause
    • finally got them to tidy up their room
  26. have used in the present perfect tense form with present meaning
    • I've got no money
  27. to have as an obligation or necessity used in the present perfect tense form with present meaning
    • you have got to come
  28. to find out by calculation
    • get the answer to a problem
  29. memorize
    • got the verse by heart
  30. hear
  31. understand
    • he got the joke
  32. to establish communication with
  33. to put out in baseball
  34. deliver
    • the car get s 20 miles to the gallon
  35. to succeed in coming or going : to bring or move oneself
    • get away to the country
    • got into the car
  36. to reach or enter into a certain condition
    • got to sleep after midnight
  37. to make progress
    • hasn't gotten far with the essay
  38. to acquire wealth
  39. to be able
    • never got to go to college
  40. to come to be often used with following present participle
    • got talking about old times
  41. to succeed in becoming : become
    • how to get clear of all the debts I owe -- Shak.
  42. to become involved
    • people who get into trouble with the law
  43. to leave immediately
    • told them to get
  44. used with the past participle of transitive verbs as a passive voice auxiliary
    • they got caught in the act
  45. : something begotten:
  46. offspring
  47. the entire progeny of a male animal
  48. lineage
  49. a return of a difficult shot in a game (as tennis)
  50. a document of release from obligation in Jewish law
  51. a bill of divorce
  52. a religious divorce by Jewish law

got·cha ['gä-chə] -n

  1. an unexpected usu. disconcerting challenge, revelation, or catch
  2. an attempt to embarrass, expose, or disgrace someone (as a politician) with a gotcha

Goth ['gäth] -n

  1. a member of a Germanic people that overran the Roman Empire in the early centuries of the Christian era
  2. rock music marked by dark and morbid lyrics
  3. a fan or performer of goth
  4. a person who wears mostly black clothing, uses dark dramatic makeup, and often has dyed black hair
  5. Gothic

Goth·ic ['gä-thik] -adj, adv, n

  1. of, relating to, or resembling the Goths, their civilization, or their language
  2. teutonic, germanic
  3. medieval
  4. uncouth, barbarous
  5. of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a style of architecture developed in northern France and spreading through western Europe from the middle of the 12th century to the early 16th century that is characterized by the converging of weights and strains at isolated points upon slender vertical piers and counterbalancing buttresses and by pointed arches and vaulting
  6. of or relating to an architectural style reflecting the influence of the medieval Gothic
  7. of or relating to a style of fiction characterized by the use of desolate or remote settings and macabre, mysterious, or violent incidents

Gothic -n

  1. black letter
  2. sans serif
  3. Gothic art style or decoration
  4. the Gothic architectural style
  5. the East Germanic language of the Goths
  6. a novel, film, or play in the gothic style

Gothic arch -n

  1. a pointed arch
  2. one with a joint instead of a keystone at its apex

Goth·i·cism ['gä-thə-,si-zəm] -n

  1. barbarous lack of taste or elegance
  2. conformity to or practice of Gothic style

goth·i·cize [-,sīz] -vt

  1. to make Gothic

Gothic Revival -n

  1. an artistic style or movement of the 18th and 19th centuries inspired by and imitative of the Gothic style esp. in architecture

go through -vi

  1. to continue firmly or obstinately to the end
    • I was going through with it if it killed me -- A. W. Long
  2. to receive approval or sanction : pass
  3. to come to a desired or satisfactory conclusion

goto ['gō-,tü] -adj

  1. relied on for expert knowledge or skill
    • the company's goto guy

go to -vi

  1. used interjectionally as an exhortation
    • and they said one to another, go to, let us make brick -- Gen 11:3(AV)
  2. used interjectionally to express disapproval or disbelief
    • go to, go to; you have known what you should not -- Shak.

gotten ['get, ÷'git] -vb

(variant of get)

  1. to gain possession of
  2. to receive as a return : earn
    • he got a bad reputation for carelessness
  3. to obtain by concession or entreaty
    • get your mother's permission to go
  4. to become affected by (a disease or bodily condition) : catch
    • got measles from his sister
  5. to seek out and obtain
    • hoped to get dinner at the inn
  6. to obtain and bring where wanted or needed
    • get a pencil from the desk
  7. beget
  8. to cause to come or go
    • quickly got his luggage through customs
  9. to cause to move
    • get it out of the house
  10. to cause to be in a certain position or condition
    • got his feet wet
  11. to make ready : prepare
    • get breakfast
  12. to be subjected to
    • got a bad fall
  13. to receive by way of punishment
  14. to suffer a specified injury to
    • got my nose broken
  15. to achieve as a result of military activity
  16. to obtain or receive by way of benefit or advantage
    • he got little for his trouble
    • get the better of an enemy
  17. seize
  18. overcome
  19. to have an emotional effect on
    • the final scene always get s me
  20. irritate
    • the delays were starting to get her
  21. puzzle
  22. to take vengeance on
  23. kill
  24. hit
  25. to prevail on : cause
    • finally got them to tidy up their room
  26. have used in the present perfect tense form with present meaning
    • I've got no money
  27. to have as an obligation or necessity used in the present perfect tense form with present meaning
    • you have got to come
  28. to find out by calculation
    • get the answer to a problem
  29. memorize
    • got the verse by heart
  30. hear
  31. understand
    • he got the joke
  32. to establish communication with
  33. to put out in baseball
  34. deliver
    • the car get s 20 miles to the gallon
  35. to succeed in coming or going : to bring or move oneself
    • get away to the country
    • got into the car
  36. to reach or enter into a certain condition
    • got to sleep after midnight
  37. to make progress
    • hasn't gotten far with the essay
  38. to acquire wealth
  39. to be able
    • never got to go to college
  40. to come to be often used with following present participle
    • got talking about old times
  41. to succeed in becoming : become
    • how to get clear of all the debts I owe -- Shak.
  42. to become involved
    • people who get into trouble with the law
  43. to leave immediately
    • told them to get
  44. used with the past participle of transitive verbs as a passive voice auxiliary
    • they got caught in the act
  45. : something begotten:
  46. offspring
  47. the entire progeny of a male animal
  48. lineage
  49. a return of a difficult shot in a game (as tennis)
  50. a document of release from obligation in Jewish law
  51. a bill of divorce
  52. a religious divorce by Jewish law

Got·ter·dam·mer·ung [,gə(r)-tər-'de-mə-,ru̇ŋ, -'da-] -n

  1. a collapse (as of a society or regime) marked by catastrophic violence and disorder
  2. downfall
    • the Gotterdammerung of Communism

gouache ['gwäsh] -n

  1. a method of painting with opaque watercolors
  2. a picture painted by gouache
  3. the pigment used in gouache

Gou·da ['gü-də] -n

  1. a mild cheese of Dutch origin that is similar to Edam but contains more fat

gouge ['gau̇j] -n

  1. a chisel with a concavo-convex cross section
  2. the act of gouging
  3. a groove or cavity scooped out
  4. an excessive or improper exaction : extortion
  5. to scoop out with or as if with a gouge
  6. to force out (an eye) with the thumb
  7. to thrust the thumb into the eye of
  8. to subject to extortion or undue exaction : overcharge

gou·lash ['gü-,läsh, -,lash] -n

  1. a stew made with meat (as beef), assorted vegetables, and paprika
  2. a round in bridge played with hands produced by a redistribution of previously dealt cards
  3. a mixture of heterogeneous elements : jumble

go under -vi

  1. to be overwhelmed, destroyed, or defeated : fail

go up -vi

  1. to attend a university
  2. to become confused
  3. to be built or erected
    • a new sign went up

gou·ra·mi [gü-'rä-mē] -n

  1. : any of numerous African and Asian tropical freshwater bony fishes (order Perciformes): as
  2. a large Asian food fish ( Osphronemus goramyof the family Osphronemidae)
  3. any of various small fishes (families Belontiidae and Helostomatidae) often kept in aquariums

gourd ['gȯrd, 'gu̇rd] -n

  1. any of a family (Cucurbitaceae, the gourd family) of chiefly herbaceous tendril-bearing vines including the cucumber, melon, squash, and pumpkin
  2. the fruit of a gourd : pepo
  3. any of various hard-rinded inedible fruits of plants of two genera ( Lagenariaand Cucurbita) often used for ornament or for vessels and utensils

gour·mand ['gu̇r-,mänd, -mənd] -n, vi

  1. one who is excessively fond of eating and drinking
  2. one who is heartily interested in good food and drink

gour·man·dise [,gu̇r-män-'dēz] -n

  1. appreciation of or interest in good food and drink : gourmandism

gour·met ['gu̇r-,mā, gu̇r-'] -n, adj

  1. a connoisseur of food and drink
  2. connoisseur
    • a film gourmet

gout ['gau̇t] -n, adj

  1. a metabolic disease marked by a painful inflammation of the joints, deposits of urates in and around the joints, and usu. an excessive amount of uric acid in the blood
  2. a mass or aggregate esp. of something fluid often gushing or bursting forth

gov -abbr

  1. government; governor
  2. governmental institution usu. preceded by a period used in World Wide Web addresses

gov·ern ['gə-vərn] -vb, adj

  1. to exercise continuous sovereign authority over
  2. to control and direct the making and administration of policy in
  3. to rule without sovereign power and usu. without having the authority to determine basic policy
  4. manipulate
  5. to control the speed of (as a machine) esp. by automatic means
  6. to control, direct, or strongly influence the actions and conduct of
  7. to exert a determining or guiding influence in or over
    • income must govern expenditure
  8. to hold in check : restrain
  9. to require (a word) to be in a certain case
  10. to serve as a precedent or deciding principle for
    • customs that govern human decisions
  11. to prevail or have decisive influence : control
  12. to exercise authority

gov·er·nance ['gə-vər-nən(t)s] -n

  1. government

gov·ern·ess ['gə-vər-nəs] -n

  1. a woman who governs
  2. a woman who cares for and supervises a child esp. in a private household

gov·ern·essy ['gə-vər-ni-sē] -adj

  1. characteristic of or resembling a governess (as in primness)

gov·ern·ment ['gə-vər(n)-mənt, -və-mənt; 'gə-bᵊm-ənt, -vᵊm-] -n, adj, vt, adv

  1. the act or process of governing
  2. authoritative direction or control
  3. moral conduct or behavior : discretion
  4. the office, authority, or function of governing
  5. the term during which a governing official holds office
  6. the continuous exercise of authority over and the performance of functions for a political unit : rule
  7. the organization, machinery, or agency through which a political unit exercises authority and performs functions and which is usu. classified according to the distribution of power within it
  8. the complex of political institutions, laws, and customs through which the function of governing is carried out
  9. : the body of persons that constitutes the governing authority of a political unit or organization: as
  10. the officials comprising the governing body of a political unit and constituting the organization as an active agency
  11. the executive branch of the U.S. federal government
  12. : a small group of persons holding simultaneously the principal political executive offices of a nation or other political unit and being responsible for the direction and supervision of public affairs:
  13. such a group in a parliamentary system constituted by the cabinet or by the ministry
  14. administration
  15. political science

gov·ern·men·tal·ism [,gə-vər(n)-'men-tə-,li-zəm] -n

  1. a theory advocating extension of the sphere and degree of government activity
  2. the tendency toward extension of the role of government

gov·ern·men·tese [,gə-vər-mən-'tēz] -n

  1. jargon held to be characteristic of government officials

gov·er·nor ['gə-vᵊn-ər also 'gə-vər-nər] -n

  1. : one that governs: as
  2. one that exercises authority esp. over an area or group
  3. an official elected or appointed to act as ruler, chief executive, or nominal head of a political unit
  4. commanding officer
  5. the managing director and usu. the principal officer of an institution or organization
  6. a member of a group that directs or controls an institution or society
  7. tutor
  8. one looked upon as governing
  9. mister, sir usu. used as a term of address
  10. an attachment to a machine (as a gasoline engine) for automatic control or limitation of speed
  11. a device giving automatic control (as of pressure or temperature)

governorgeneral -n

  1. a governor of high rank
  2. one who governs a large territory or has deputy governors under him

gov·er·nor·ship ['gə-vᵊn-ər-,ship also 'gə-vər-nər-] -n

  1. the office of governor
  2. the period of incumbency of a governor

govt -abbr

  1. government

gow·an ['gau̇-ən] -n, adj

  1. daisy
  2. a white or yellow field flower

gown ['gau̇n] -n, vt

  1. a loose flowing outer garment formerly worn by men
  2. a distinctive robe worn by a professional or academic person
  3. a woman's dress
  4. dressing gown
  5. nightgown
  6. a coverall worn in an operating room
  7. the body of students and faculty of a college or university
    • rivalry between town and gown

gowns·man ['gau̇nz-mən] -n

  1. a professional or academic person

goy ['gȯi] -n, adj

  1. gentile