come  (k ŭm)
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intr.v. came(k ām), come, com·ing, comes 1. a. To advance toward the speaker or toward a specified place; approach: Come to me. b. To advance in a specified manner: The children came reluctantly when I insisted. 2. a. To make progress; advance: a former drug addict who has come a long way. b. To fare: How are things coming today? They're coming fine. 3. a. To reach a particular point in a series or as a result of orderly progression: At last we came to the chapter on ergonomics. b. To arrive, as in due course: Dawn comes at 5 AM in June. 4. To move into view; appear: The moon came over the horizon. 5. To occur in time; take place: The game will be played tomorrow, come rain or shine. 6. a. To arrive at a particular result or end: come to an understanding. b. To arrive at or reach a particular state or condition: Come to your senses! c. To move or be brought to a particular position: The convoy came to an abrupt halt. 7. To extend; reach: water that came to my waist. 8. To have priority; rank: My work comes first. 9. To happen as a result: This mess comes of your carelessness. 10. To fall to one: No good can come of this. 11. To occur in the mind: A good idea just came to me. 12. a. To issue forth: A cry came from the frightened child. b. To be derived; originate: Oaks come from acorns. c. To be descended: They come from a good family. d. To be within a given range or spectrum of reference or application: This stipulation comes within the terms of your contract. 13. To be a native or resident: My friend comes from Chicago. 14. To add up to a certain amount: Expenses came to more than income. 15. a. To become: The knot came loose. This is a dream that has come true. b. To turn out to be: A good education doesn't come cheap. 16. To be available or obtainable: shoes that come in all sizes. 17. Vulgar Slang To experience orgasm. n. also cum (k ŭm) Vulgar Slang Semen ejaculated during orgasm. Phrasal Verbs: come about1. To take place; happen. 2. To turn around. 3. Nautical To change tack. come across1. To meet or find by chance: came across my old college roommate in town today. 2. Slang a. To do what is wanted. b. To pay over money that is demanded: came across with the check. 3. To give an impression: “He comes across as a very sincere, religious individual” (William L. Clay). come along1. To make advances to a goal; progress: Things are coming along fine. 2. To go with someone else who takes the lead: I'll come along on the hike. 3. To show up; appear: Don't take the first offer that comes along. come around (or round)1. To recover, revive: fainted but soon came around. 2. To change one's opinion or position: You'll come around after you hear the whole story. come at1. To obtain; get: come at an education through study. 2. To rush at; attack. come back1. To return to or regain past success after a period of misfortune. 2. To retort; reply: came back with a sharp riposte. 3. To recur to the memory: It's all coming back to me now. come betweenTo cause to be in conflict or estrangement. come by1. To gain possession of; acquire: Mortgages are hard to come by. 2. To pay a visit. come down1. To lose wealth or position: He has really come down in the world. 2. a. To pass or be handed down by tradition: customs that come down from colonial times. b. To be handed down from a higher authority: An indictment finally came down. 3. Slang To happen; occur: What's coming down tonight? 4. Slang To experience diminishing effects of a recreational or hallucinogenic drug. come in1. a. To arrive: Fall clothes will be coming in soon. b. To become available for use: New weather information just came in. c. To start producing. Used of an oil well. 2. To arrive among those who finish a contest or race: came in fifth. 3. To perform or function in a particular way: A food processor comes in handy. 4. To reply in a specified manner to a call or signal: The pilot's voice came in loud and clear. 5. To take on a specified role: When editorial review commences, that's where you come in. come intoTo acquire, especially as an inheritance: She came into a fortune on her 21st birthday. come off1. To happen; occur: The trip came off on schedule. 2. To acquit oneself: She is sure to come off badly if challenged to explain. 3. To turn out to be successful: a party that came off. come on1. To convey a particular personal image: comes on as an old-fashioned reactionary. 2. Slang To show sexual interest in someone: trying to come on to me during the party. 3. a. To progress or advance in increments: Darkness came on after seven. b. To begin in small increments or by degrees: Sleet came on after one o'clock. 4. To hurry up; move rapidly. Often used in the imperative: Would you please come on! We'll be late! 5. To stop an inappropriate behavior; abandon a position or an attitude; be obliging. Used chiefly in the imperative: You've used the same feeble excuse for weeks. Come on! come out1. To become known: The whole story came out at the trial. 2. To be issued or brought out: The author's new book just came out. 3. To make a formal social debut: She came out at age 18 in New York City. 4. To end up; result: Everything came out wrong. 5. To declare oneself publicly: The governor came out in favor of tax breaks. 6. To reveal one's sexual orientation or gender identity, especially as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. come over1. To change sides, as in a controversy. 2. To pay a casual visit. come through1. To do what is required or anticipated: I asked for their help, and they came through. 2. a. To become manifest: The parents' tenderness comes through in their facial expressions. b. To be communicated: The coach's displeasure came through loud and clear. come to1. To recover consciousness: The fainting victim came to. 2. Nautical a. To bring the bow into the wind. b. To anchor. come up1. To manifest itself; arise: The question never came up. 2. To rise above the horizon: The sun came up. 3. To rise, as in status or rank: a general who came up from the ranks. 4. To draw near; approach: came up and said hello. 5. To grow up: “If they would have had this Internet stuff when I was coming up, I would have been in Harvard by now” (Shaquille O'Neal). come uponTo discover or meet by accident. come withInformal To accompany someone; go along: I'm going to the store; do you want to come with? Idioms: come a cropperTo fail utterly. come againUsed as a request to repeat what was said. come cleanTo confess all. come down onTo punish, oppose, or reprimand severely and often with force: a district attorney who came down hard on drug dealers. come down to1. To confront or deal with forthrightly: When you come right down to it, you have to admit I'm correct. 2. To amount to in essence: It comes down to this: the man is a cheat. come down withTo become sick with (an illness): came down with the flu. come in forTo receive; be subjected to: came in for harsh criticism. come into (one's) own1. To get possession of what belongs to one. 2. To obtain rightful recognition or prosperity: a concert pianist who has at last come into his own. come off itSlang To stop acting or speaking foolishly or pretentiously. Often used in the imperative. come out with1. To put into words; say: always comes out with the truth. 2. To reveal publicly: came out with a new tax package. come to blowsTo begin a physical fight. come to griefTo meet with disaster; fail. come to grips withTo confront squarely and attempt to deal decisively with: “He had to come to grips with the proposition” (Louis Auchincloss). come to light(or hand)To be clearly revealed or disclosed: “A further problem ... came to light last summer as a result of post-flight inspections” (John Noble Wilford). come to terms with1. To come to accept; become reconciled to: finally came to terms with his lack of talent. 2. To reach mutual agreement: The warring factions have at last come to terms. come trueTo happen as predicted: My fondest dreams have at last come true. come up againstTo encounter, especially a difficulty or major problem. come up withTo bring forth, discover, or produce: came up with a cure for the disease.
[Middle English comen, from Old English cuman; see gwā- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] | 
