come

verb (past came; past participle come)

1》 move or travel towards or into a place near or familiar to the speaker.

    ↘arrive.

    ↘join in a specified activity: do you want to come fishing?

2》 occur; happen.

3》 occupy or achieve a specified position or placing: she came second.

    ↘reach or extend to a specified point.

    ↘(come along/on) make progress; develop.

    ↘[as adjective coming] likely to be important or successful in the future: a coming man.

    ↘said to correct, reassure, or urge on someone.

4》 pass into a specified state, especially one of separation: his shirt had come undone.

    ↘(come to/into) reach or be brought to (a specified situation).

    ↘(come across or chiefly Brit. over or US off) give a specified impression.

5》 be sold or available in a specified form: the shirt comes in three sizes.

6》 informal have an orgasm.

preposition informal when a specified time is reached or event happens.

noun informal semen ejaculated at an orgasm.

Phrases

come again? informal could you repeat or explain that?

come off it informal said when vigorously expressing disbelief.

come the —— informal behave like: don't come the innocent with me.

come to nothing have no significant or successful result.

come to pass literary happen.

come to that Brit. informal in fact.

come what may no matter what happens.

have it coming (to one) informal be due for retribution.

how come? informal said when asking how or why something happened.

to come in the future.

Phrasal verbs

come about

1》 take place.

2》 (of a ship) change direction.

come across

1》 meet or find by chance.

2》 informal provide what is wanted.

come around see come round.

come at launch oneself at; attack.

come away be left with a specified feeling or result.

come back respond, especially vigorously.

come before be dealt with by (a judge or court).

come by manage to acquire.

come down on

1》 criticize or punish harshly.

2》 reach a decision in favour of (one side or another).

come down to be dependent on (a factor).

come for launch oneself at in order to attack.

come forward volunteer for a task or to give evidence.

come from have as a source or birthplace.

come in

1》 have a useful role or function.

2》 (of money) be earned or received regularly.

3》 join others in an enterprise.

4》 (of the tide) rise.

come in for receive (a reaction), typically a negative one.

come into inherit (money or property).

come of

1》 result from.

2》 be descended from.

come off

1》 be accomplished; succeed.

    ↘fare in a specified way: he always came off worse in an argument.

2》 Brit. informal have an orgasm.

come on

1》 (of a state or condition) start to arrive or happen.

2》 (also come upon) meet or find by chance.

3》 said to encourage or correct someone.

come on to informal make sexual advances towards.

come out

1》 (of a fact) become known.

    ↘happen as a result.

    ↘(of a photograph) be produced satisfactorily or in a specified way.

    ↘(of the result of a calculation or measurement) emerge at a specified figure.

2》 (of a book or other work) be released or published.

3》 declare oneself as being for or against something.

4》 achieve a specified placing in an examination or contest.

    ↘acquit oneself in a specified way.

5》 (of a stain) be removed or able to be removed.

6》 Brit. go on strike.

7》 informal openly declare that one is homosexual.

8》 Brit. dated (of a young upper-class woman) make one's debut in society.

come out in Brit. (of the skin) break out in (spots or a similar condition).

come out with say in a sudden or rude way.

come over

1》 (of a feeling) begin to affect.

    ↘Brit. informal suddenly start to feel a specified way.

2》 change to another side or point of view.

come round chiefly Brit. (chiefly US also come around)

1》 recover consciousness.

2》 be converted to another person's opinion.

3》 (of a date or regular occurrence) recur.

come through

1》 succeed in surviving or dealing with.

2》 (of a message) be sent and received.

    ↘(of an official decree) be processed and notified.

come to

1》 recover consciousness.

2》 (of an expense) reach in total.

3》 (of a ship) come to a stop.

come under

1》 be classified as or among.

2》 be subject to.

come up (of a situation or problem) occur, especially unexpectedly.

↘(of a time or event) draw near.

come up against be faced with or opposed by.

come up with produce (something), especially when pressured or challenged.

come upon

1》 attack by surprise.

2》 see come on (sense 2).

Origin

OE cuman, of Gmc origin.

Usage

The use of come followed by and, as in come and see for yourself, dates back to Old English, but is seen by some as incorrect or only suitable for informal English: for more details see usage at and.