I. ˈkəm; often when a stressed syllable, especially an adverb or preposition syllable, follows without pause _kəm verb
( came (ˈ)kām ; or nonstandard come (ˈ)kəm ; or comed -md ; or dialect British cam (ˈ)kam ; come or nonstandard comed or dialect British cam ; coming ˈkəmiŋ ; comes (ˈ)kəmz ; or archaic cometh ˈkəmə̇th)
Etymology: Middle English comen, from Old English cuman; akin to Old High German queman to come, Old Norse koma, Gothic qiman, Latin venire to come, Greek bainein to walk, go, Sanskrit gamati he goes
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to move toward or away from something : pass from one point toward another nearer or more central : approach
do come to church today
he came quietly into the room
when will they come
— distinguished from and sometimes opposed to go ; usually used with a preposition (as toward, on, before, behind ) or an adverb (as away, down, forth, up ) when the point of departure or terminus is expressed
come toward me slowly
the babe came forth from the womb
b. : to move toward or enter a scene of action or into a field of interest whether partly physical or wholly ideal — usually used with an implication of purpose that may be expressed by an infinitive or participle or a coordinate verb introduced by and
he came to see us
a man came asking after wisdom
come and help us set the table
or by a prepositional phrase
they'll come to the rescue when they hear
c. : to approach or reach a particular station in an expressed or implied series
day is coming
now we come to the section on health
(1) : to approach in kind or quality — usually used with near
this comes near perfection
the pure in heart come near to God
(2) : to result in or progress — often used with to
all our good planning came to naught
(3) : to approach or reach a condition through or as if through change
their fury came quickly to a boil
d.
(1) : to advance toward maturity or a culminating state or stage — often used with on or along
the gray filly is coming nicely
that corn will come along better if it rains
(2) : to advance in a particular manner
come running when I call
the referee came between the clinching boxers
(3) : to advance, rise, or improve in rank or condition — often used with up
a general who had come up through the ranks
the neighborhood, after declining for years, was coming up again
e. : fare : come along
how're you coming now?
f.
(1) : to reach or extend
trousers scarcely coming to his shoe tops
(2) : to extend along or occupy a denoted or understood space or situation
a path comes through the valley
at high tide water comes over the lower end of the walk
(3) : to reach through the intellect or emotions
this comes very near to me
the arguments come home forcibly
2.
a.
(1) : to arrive at a particular place, end, result, or conclusion
he came slowly to his senses
she came tired to bed each night
the spirit of true humility comes to those who seek it diligently
(2) : to attain by connected or related stages
come to an understanding
(3) : amount
taxes come to more than the property is worth
(4) : to appear to the mind : become recalled to memory
after much thought the answer came to him
it came to her that this was where she first met him
(5) : to return in time or space
the good old days never come back
b.
(1) of an event or condition : happen , befall , occur
no harm will come to you
everything comes to him who waits
(2) : to reach a particular state or condition or to happen as the result of chance or of some process or development
come untied
how did you come to have such an idea
the whole plan was coming clearer and clearer — Willa Cather
— compare come upon
(3) : to come to pass : take place — used with inverted subject and verb to express the particular time or occasion concerning which a statement is being made and often in the subjunctive mood with the notion of futurity
came Christmas and we had a merry time
the house burned a year ago come March
comes the revolution we'll all live, or hang, high
come the end of the war when costs fall
(4) : to become merited or owed — usually used as a present participle
all the credit that's coming to him
I've another dollar coming to me
c.
(1) : to be the product or result : originate , arise , follow
pepper comes from a bush
most wine comes from grapes
good crops come from good soil
they come of sturdy yeoman stock
do not evil that good may come
kind deeds come from a kind heart
after joy comes sadness
his wealth comes by inheritance
(2) : to be or have been a native or resident — used with from
he comes from Toronto, Canada
she has been here in the city 20 years but who would doubt that she comes from the backwoods?
d. : to enter or assume a given condition, relation, use, or position
at sundown the artillery came into action
he came to the peerage in 1892
e. : to fall within a field of view, an indicated or implied scope, or a range of application
his follies come to mind along with his kindnesses
this comes within the terms of the treaty
Connecticut, Rhode Island, then comes Massachusetts
f.
(1) of an utterance : to become produced : issue forth
a dry sob came from her constricted throat
some of the noblest thoughts to come from this generation
(2) : to take shape : assume a given or desired form : jell
in spite of her best efforts the picture would not come
(3) of cheese or butter : to be formed by adhesion of particles
(4) of a bow : to bend too much in one place when drawn
g. : to be available
this model comes in several sizes
: exist
as good as they come
h. : to experience orgasm
3. : to fall to a person in a division of property or as an inheritance
several thousand dollars came to him from his uncle
4. : pay attention : heed — used only in the imperative and often intensified by repetition to imply rebuke, impatience, or encouragement
come , we must hurry
come , come , that's no way to speak to your mother
5. : to become moved favorably : relent
he will relent; he's coming; I perceive't — Shakespeare
6. : to command or require a specified exertion or expenditure : be possible or be obtainable at a specified cost or by a specified effort
it comes hard for me to accept your views
good clothes come high
easy come , easy go
7. : rise — used chiefly in the phrase come to one's feet
8. : to appear to become : become
monsters come alive from a Goya picture — New Republic
things will come clear if we are patient
transitive verb
1. : to approach or be near (an age)
a pretty child coming eight years old
2.
a. : to act or play the part of
why should he come the dude like that
b. : play
come a hand of cards
c. Britain : attain , do
he cannot come that
•
- come abroad
- come a cropper
- come across
- come again
- come alive
- come a long way
- come apart
- come at
- come away
- come between
- come by
- come clean
- come close
- come compass
- come forward
- come home
- come home to roost
- come into
- come into case
- come into one's own
- come into play
- come it
- come it over
- come it strong
- come off
- come on
- come one's way
- come over
- come round
- come through
- come to a head
- come to anchor
- come to blows
- come to grief
- come to grips
- come to hand
- come to life
- come to light
- come to nature
- come to nothing
- come to oneself
- come to pass
- come to stay
- come to terms
- come to that
- come to time
- come true
- come up
- come upon
II. ˈkōm, ˈku̇m noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English; perhaps akin to Old High German & Old Saxon kīmo shoot, sprout, Old English cīnan to gape, yawn, crack — more at chine
: the dried rootlets produced in malting grain — usually used in plural
III. verb
•
- come off
- come to
- come down the pike
IV. noun
1. : orgasm — often considered vulgar
2. : semen — often considered vulgar