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Invictus754 -> RE: Definition (4/16/2006 7:46:39 PM)
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Oh, Gosh RiotGirl - if it were only that easy.
I figured I would take your advice, and I went to dictionary.com. I decided I would look up the easiest word I know: go. Two letters. Kinda like Ug. You would think that in some large stone, deeply chiseled forever, would have the simple definition of go.
However, there were over 25 different definitions for the word. 25! It meant a sale (go to the highest bidder); it meant to function properly (the car won't go); it meant to pass from one person to another (wild rumors are going around the office); it meant to be called (William likes to go by Billy); it meant time elapsed (the day goes well); it meant to die (Grandma will go to heaven); it means to excrete waste (I go to the bathroom); it means to participate (I'll go half on a pizza); it means a sexual activity (I'm gonna go down on her); it means to explode (the dynamite will go off if you light it); it means to examine (to go over with a fine tooth comb); it even means fast food (he took the sandwich to go)...
Now, how can using the dictionary be the ultimate solution, when many times the context of the sentence makes a difference to what the word means? How about lead and lead? One is a verb (I will lead the horse to water) but the other is a noun (lead is a heavy metal).
People are not always definining things as they choose, sometimes they are taking things out of context and that takes away the actual meaning of what one person was trying to say and makes it totally something else. Or, because one word does have multiple meaning, each uses the definition he is most familiar with to actually argue his point. I like to use the test: when I say the word "DOG" you think of a picture of a dog. Look at the detail, the size, the coloring...imagine him at the top of a hill with a blue sky. Now, what BREED was the dog you thought of? If you ask ten different people, you will get answers as varied as Boxer, Malamute, Cocker Spaniel, Terrier or Maltese. The word is simple, however what each person personally sees behind the word is not always the same thing. That is why when any argument heats up, one needs to step back and ensure that the same idea with all the little details being argued are the same on both sides. Negotiations at a national level are a real bitch because of this. :)
Using dictionary.com, one could argue that "I'm going to have a go at your wife" could mean you are going to try to use her sexually, or you are going to try to pee on her. Two totally different things.
Ug.
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Definition for Go:
- To move or travel; proceed: We will go by bus. Solicitors went from door to door seeking donations. How fast can the boat go?
- To move away from a place; depart: Go before I cry.
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To pursue a certain course: messages that go through diplomatic channels to the ambassador.
To resort to another, as for aid: went directly to the voters of her district. See Synonyms at resort.
To extend between two points or in a certain direction; run: curtains that go from the ceiling to the floor.
To give entry; lead: a stairway that goes to the basement.
To function properly: The car won't go.
To have currency.
To pass from one person to another; circulate: Wild rumors were going around the office.
To pass as the result of a sale: The gold watch went to the highest bidder.
Informal. Used as an intensifier when joined by and to a coordinate verb: She went and complained to Personnel.
Used in the progressive tense with an infinitive to indicate future intent or expectation: I am going to learn how to dance.
To continue to be in a certain condition or continue an activity: go barefoot.
To come to be in a certain condition: go mad; hair that had gone gray.
To continue to be in effect or operation: a lease with one year to go.
To carry out an action to a certain point or extent: Your parents went to great expense to put you through college.
To be called; be known: Our friend William often goes by Billy.
To be customarily located; belong: The fork goes to the left of the plate. Where do the plates go?
To be capable of entering or fitting: Will the suitcase go into the trunk of your car?
To pass into someone's possession: All the jewelry went to her heirs.
To be allotted: How much of your salary goes for rent?
To be a contributing factor: It all goes to show us that the project can be completed on time.
To have a particular form: as the saying goes.
To be such, by and large: well behaved, as big dogs go.
To extend in time: The story goes back to the Middle Ages.
To pass by; elapse: The day went pleasantly enough until I received your call.
To be used up or finished: My interest in such things has gone.
To be discarded or abolished: All luxuries will have to go.
To become weak; fail: His hearing has started to go.
To give way; break up: The dam is about to go.
To cease living; die.
To happen or develop; fare: How are things going?
To have a successful outcome: creativity that made the advertising campaign really go.
To be suitable or appropriate as an accessory or accompaniment: a color that goes beautifully with your complexion.
To have authority: Whatever I say goes.
To be valid, acceptable, or adequate.
Informal. To excrete waste from the bladder or bowels.
Informal. To begin an act: Here goes!
Obsolete. To walk.
v. tr.
- To proceed or move according to: I was free to go my own way.
- To traverse: Only two of the runners went the entire distance.
- To engage in: went skiing.
- Informal.
To bet: go $20 on the black horse.
To bid: I'll go $500 on the vase.
Informal.
To take on the responsibility or obligation for: go bail for a client.
To participate to (a given extent): Will you go halves with me if we win the lottery?
To amount to; weigh: a shark that went 400 pounds.
Sports. To have as a record: went 3 for 4 against their best pitcher.
Informal. To enjoy: I could go a cold beer right now.
To say or utter. Used chiefly in verbal narration: First I go, “Thank you,” then he goes, “What for?”
n. pl. goes
- The act or an instance of going.
- An attempt; an effort: had a go at acting.
- The time or period of an activity.
- Informal. Energy; vitality: had lots of go.
- Informal.
The go-ahead.
often Go The starting point: “And from Go there was something deliciously illicit about the whole affair” (Erica Abeel).
Informal. A situation in which planned operations can be effectuated: The space mission is a go.
adj.
Informal. Functioning correctly and ready for action: All systems are go.
Phrasal Verbs:
go about
To set about to do; undertake: Go about your chores in a responsible way.
go along
To cooperate: They get along by going along.
go around
- To satisfy a demand or requirement: just enough food to go around.
- To go here and there; move from place to place.
- To have currency: rumors going around.
go at
- To attack, especially with energy.
- To approach; undertake: He went at the job with a lot of energy.
go by
- To elapse; pass: as time goes by.
- To pay a short visit: My parents were away when we went by last week.
go down
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To drop below the horizon; set: The sun went down.
To fall to the ground: The helicopter went down in a ball of fire.
To sink: The torpedoed battleship went down.
To experience defeat or ruin.
To admit of easy swallowing: a cough syrup that goes down readily.
To decrease in cost or value.
Chiefly British To leave a university.
Slang To occur; happen: “a collection of memorable pieces about the general craziness that was going down in those days” (James Atlas).
To be accepted or tolerated: How will your ideas go down as far as corporate marketing is concerned?
To come to be remembered in posterity: a debate that will go down as a turning point in the campaign.
Vulgar Slang To perform fellatio or cunnilingus.
go for
- Informal To have a special liking for: I really go for progressive jazz.
- To attack: an opponent who is known to go for the jugular in arguments.
- To pass for or serve as: a couch that also goes for a bed.
go in
- To take part in a cooperative venture: went in with the others to buy a present.
- To make an approach, as before an attack: Troops went in at dawn.
go into
- To discuss or investigate: The book goes into classical mythology.
- To undertake as a profession or course of study: She's going into medicine.
go off
- To undergo detonation; explode.
- To make a noise; sound: The siren went off at noon.
- To leave: Don't go off mad.
- Informal To adhere to the expected course of events or the expected plan: The project went off smoothly.
go on
- To take place; happen: didn't know what was going on.
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To continue: Life must go on.
To keep on doing (something): Don't go on talking.
To proceed: She went on to become a senator.
Informal To talk volubly: My, you do go on.
go out
- To become extinguished.
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To go outdoors; leave one's residence: He went out at seven.
To take part in social life outside the home: goes out a lot.
To become unfashionable: High boots went out last year.
To undergo structural collapse: The bridge went out.
go over
- To gain acceptance or approval: a new style that didn't go over.
- To examine or review: go over the test scores.
go through
- To examine carefully: went through the students' papers.
- To experience: We went through hell while working on this project.
- To perform: I went through the sonata in 30 minutes.
go under
- To suffer defeat or destruction; fail.
- To lose consciousness.
go up
- To increase in price or value.
- To be in the process of construction: Office buildings went up all over town.
- Chiefly British To go to a university.
go with
- To date (someone) regularly.
- To select or choose: decided to go with the pink wallpaper.
Idioms:
from the word go
From the very beginning.
go all the way
Slang To have sexual intercourse.
go back on
To fail to honor or keep: go back on a promise.
go begging
To be in little or no demand: “Prestige or no prestige, directors' jobs at some companies have actually gone begging” (Bill Powell).
go belly up Informal
To undergo total financial failure: “A record number of... banks went belly up” (New Republic).
go bust Informal
To undergo financial collapse: “Railroads were in the news mainly when they were going bust” (Christian Science Monitor).
go by the board
To be discarded or ignored: old dress codes that have now gone by the board.
go down the line
To provide strong support.
go fly a kite Informal
To cease being an annoyance. Often used in the imperative.
go for broke Informal
To commit or expend all of one's available resources toward achievement of a goal: “Why not go for broke and take on somebody who is quite young and see what he does?” (Roger L. Stevens).
go for it Informal
To expend all one's strength and resources toward achievement of an end or purpose.
go in for
- To have interest in: goes in for classical music.
- To take part in: goes in for water skiing.
go in with
To join in or combine with: He'll go in with them on the plan.
go it alone
To undertake a project, trip, or responsibility without the presence or help of others.
go off the deep end
To behave hysterically or very recklessly.
go one better
To surpass or outdo by one degree: He's gone me one better.
go out for
To seek to become a participant in: go out for varsity soccer.
go out of (one's) way
To inconvenience oneself in doing something beyond what is required.
go out the window Informal
To become insignificant or inoperative: “As soon as a third body is introduced to the Newtonian system, all lawful ordering of processes goes out the window” (Fusion).
go places Informal
To be on the way to success: a young executive who is clearly going places.
go steady
To date someone exclusively.
go the distance
To carry a course of action through to completion.
go the vole
To risk all of one's resources in the prospect of achieving great gains.
go to it
To begin something right away.
go to (one's) head
- To make one dizzy or inebriated.
- To make one proud or conceited.
go to pieces
- To lose one's self-control.
- To suffer the loss of one's health.
go to the mat Informal
To fight or dispute until one side or another is victorious: The governor will go to the mat with the legislature over the controversial spending bill.
go to the wall Informal
- To lose a conflict or be defeated; yield: Despite their efforts, the team went to the wall.
- To be forced into bankruptcy; fail.
- To make an all-out effort, especially in defending another.
go to town Informal
- To work or perform efficiently and rapidly.
- To be highly successful.
go up in flames/smoke
To be utterly destroyed.
go without saying
To be self-evident: It goes without saying that success is the product of hard work.
on the go
Constantly busy or active.
to go
To be taken out, as restaurant food or drink: coffee and doughnuts to go.
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