Definition of 'come'
Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense comes, present participle coming, past tense camelanguage note: The form come is used in the present tense and is the past participle.Come is used in a large number of expressions which are explained under other words inthis dictionary. For example, the expression 'to come to terms with something' isexplained at 'term'.
1. verb
When a person or thing comes to a particular place, especially to a place where you are, they move there.
Two police officers came into the hall. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Come here, Tom. [VERB preposition/adverb]
You'll have to come with us. [VERB preposition/adverb]
We want you to come to lunch. [VERB preposition/adverb]
I came over from Ireland to start a new life after my divorce. [VERB preposition/adverb]
We heard the train coming. [VERB]
Can I come too? [VERB]
The impact blew out some of the windows and the sea came rushing in. [V v-ing prep/adv]
2. verb
When someone comes to do something, they move to the place where someone else is in order to do it, andthey do it. In British English, someone can also come and do something and in American English, someone can come do something. However, you always say that someone came and did something.
Eleanor had come to visit her. [VERB to-infinitive]
Come and meet Roger. [V and v]
A lot of our friends came and saw me. [V and v]
I want you to come visit me. [V inf]
3. verb
4. verb
5. verb
If something comes apart or comes to pieces, it breaks into pieces. If something comes off or comes away, it becomes detached from something else.
The pistol came to pieces, easily and quickly. [VERB adverb/preposition]
The door knobs came off in our hands. [VERB adverb/preposition]
6. link verb
You use come in expressions such as come to an end or come into operation to indicate that someone or something enters or reaches a particular state or situation.
The summer came to an end. [VERB to noun]
The Communists came to power in 1944. [VERB + to]
I came into contact with very bright Harvard and Yale students. [VERB + into]
...new taxes which come into force next month. [VERB into noun]
Their worst fears may be coming true. [VERB adjective]
7. verb
If someone comes to do something, they do it at the end of a long process or period of time.
She said it so many times that she came to believe it. [VERB to-infinitive]
Although it was a secret wedding, the press did eventually come to hear about it. [VERB to-infinitive]
8. verb
You can ask how something came to happen when you want to know what caused it to happen or made it possible.
How did you come to meet him? [VERB to-infinitive]
9. verb
When a particular event or time comes, it arrives or happens.
The announcement came after a meeting at the Home Office. [VERB preposition/adverb]
The time has come for us to move on. [VERB]
There will come a time when the crisis will occur. [VERB]
coming singular noun
Most of my patients welcome the coming of summer. [+ of]
10. preposition
11. verb
He was about to shut the door when an idea came to him. [VERB + to]
Then it came to me that perhaps he did understand. [V to n that]
12. verb
The fortune will come to you. [VERB to noun]
He did have pension money coming to him when the factory shut down. [VERB + to]
13. verb
If a case comes before a court or tribunal or comes to court, it is presented there so that the court or tribunal can examine it.
They were ready to explain their case when it came before the planning committee. [V + before]
President Cristiani expected the case to come to court within ninety days. [VERB + to]
14. verb
If something comes to a particular number or amount, it adds up to it.
Lunch came to $80. [VERB + to]
15. verb
If someone or something comes from a particular place or thing, that place or thing is their origin, source, or starting point.
Nearly half the students come from abroad. [VERB + from]
Chocolate comes from the cacao tree. [VERB + from]
The term 'claret', used to describe Bordeaux wines, may come from the French word'clairet'. [VERB + from]
16. verb
Something that comes from something else or comes of it is the result of it.
There is a feeling of power that comes from driving fast. [VERB + from]
Some good might come of all this gloomy business. [Vof n/-ing]
He asked to be transferred there some years ago, but nothing came of it. [VERB + of]
17. verb
If someone comes of a particular family or type of family, they are descended from them.
[formal] She comes of a very good family. [VERB of noun]
18. verb
If someone or something comes first, next, or last, they are first, next, or last in a series, list, or competition.
The two countries have been unable to agree which step should come next. [VERB]
The alphabet might be more rational if all the vowels came first. [V ord]
The horse had already won at Lincolnshire and come second at Lowesby. [V ord]
19. verb
If a type of thing comes in a particular range of colours, forms, styles, or sizes, it can have any of thosecolours, forms, styles, or sizes.
Bikes come in all shapes and sizes. [VERB + in]
The wallpaper comes in black and white only. [VERB + in]
20. verb
You use come in expressions such as it came as a surprise when indicating a person's reaction to something that happens.
Major's reply came as a complete surprise to the House of Commons. [VERB + as]
The arrest has come as a terrible shock. [VERB + as]
21. verb
Finally in the programme, we come to the news that the American composer and conductor,Leonard Bernstein, has died. [VERB + to]
That is another matter altogether. And we shall come to that next. [VERB + to]
22. convention
23. verb
To come means to have an orgasm.
[informal] 24. See also coming, comings and goings
25.
See come again
27.
See come come
30.
31.
See to come
32.
33.
Phrasal verbs:
See come about
See come across
See come along
See come around
See come at
See come back
See come back to
See come between
See come by
See come down
See come down on
See come down to
See come down with
See come for
See come forward
See come in
See come in for
See come into
See come off
See come on
See come on to
See come out
See come out in
See come out with
See come over
See come round
See come through
See come to
See come under
See come up
See come up against
See come up for
See come upon
See come up to
See come up with
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation ofcome
![Youtube video](/static/snsom/static/picture/hqdefault.jpg?d=23b9dd3c3&m=snsom)
Word Frequency
come in British English
verbWord forms: comes, coming, came or come (mainly intr)
1.
to move towards a specified person or place
come to my desk
4.
to occur in the course of time
Christmas comes but once a year
5.
to exist or occur at a specific point in a series
your turn comes next
11.
to arrive at or be brought into a particular state or condition
you will soon come to grief
the new timetable comes into effect on Monday
13.
to become
your wishes will come true
14. (tr; takes an infinitive)
to be given awareness
I came to realize its enormous value
17. (transitive) British informal
to play the part of
don't come the fine gentleman with me
18. (transitive) British informal
to cause or produce
don't come that nonsense again
19. (subjunctive use)
when (a specified time or event has arrived or begun)
she'll be sixteen come Sunday
come the revolution, you'll be the first to go
20. as…as they come
21. come again?
22. come and
23. come clean
24. come good
25. come it
26. come to light
28. come to pass
29. how come?
exclamation
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
Old English cuman; related to Old Norse koma, Gothic qiman, Old High German queman to come, Sanskrit gámati he goesWord Frequency
come in American English
verb intransitiveWord forms: came, come, ˈcoming
1.
to move from a place thought of as “there” to or into a place thought of as “here”:
a.
come to me, will you come to the dance tonight?
2.
to approach or reach by or as by moving toward
4.
to extend; reach
the bus line comes near the hotel
5.
to happen; take place
success came to him early in life
7.
to occur in a certain place or order
after 9 comes 10
8.
9.
a.
to be derived
milk comes from cows
b.
to be descended
he comes from an old family
c.
to be a native, resident, or former resident
with from10.
to be caused; result
illness may come from a poor diet
13.
to enter into a certain state or condition
this word has come into use
14.
to get to be; become
my shoe came loose
16.
to amount; add up (to)
17. Informal
to have a sexual orgasm
noun
interjection
Idioms:
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 byHoughton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME comen < OE cuman, akin to Goth qiman, Ger kommen < IE base *gwem-, *gwā-, to go, come > L venire, to come, Gr bainein, to goExamples of 'come' in a sentencecome
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Trends ofcome
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In other languagescome
British English: come /kʌm/ VERB
When you come to a place, you move towards it or arrive there.
She came into the room.
- American English: come
- Arabic: يَأْتِي
- Brazilian Portuguese: vir
- Chinese: 来
- Croatian: doći
- Czech: přijít
- Danish: komme
- Dutch: komen
- European Spanish: venir
- Finnish: tulla
- French: venir
- German: kommen
- Greek: έρχομαι
- Italian: venire
- Japanese: 来る
- Korean: 오다
- Norwegian: komme
- Polish: przyjść
- European Portuguese: vir
- Romanian: a veni
- Russian: приходить
- Latin American Spanish: venir
- Swedish: komma
- Thai: มา
- Turkish: gelmek
- Ukrainian: приходити
- Vietnamese: đến nơi
Nearby words ofcome
Source
Definition of come from theCollins English Dictionary
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