"come about" meaning in English

See come about in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Forms: comes about [present, singular, third-person], coming about [participle, present], came about [past], come about [participle, past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|come<,,came,come> about}} come about (third-person singular simple present comes about, present participle coming about, simple past came about, past participle come about)
  1. (intransitive) To come to pass; to develop; to occur; to take place; to happen; to exist. Tags: intransitive Synonyms (to happen): come to pass
    Sense id: en-come_about-en-verb-gUmw9G4n Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs formed with "about", English verb forms using redundant wikisyntax, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Eastern Mari translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hebrew translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 48 21 31 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "about": 46 25 29 Disambiguation of English verb forms using redundant wikisyntax: 47 24 28 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 47 21 32 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 57 26 17 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 47 21 31 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 47 24 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Eastern Mari translations: 49 22 30 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 45 22 33 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 48 23 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Hebrew translations: 43 25 32 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 43 24 33 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 43 25 32 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 49 23 28 Disambiguation of 'to happen': 94 3 3
  2. (intransitive, nautical) To tack; to change tack; to maneuver the bow of a sailing vessel across the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other; to position a boat with respect to the wind after tacking. See also come to. Tags: intransitive Categories (topical): Nautical Translations (nautical): overstag gaan (Dutch), wenden (Dutch), wenden (German), ein Wendemanöver durchführen (German), פָּקַם (pakām) [masculine] (Hebrew), ceñir (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-come_about-en-verb-sxwqjDJL Topics: nautical, transport Disambiguation of 'nautical': 44 56 0
  3. (intransitive) To change; to come round. Tags: intransitive Translations (to change): van mening veranderen (Dutch)
    Sense id: en-come_about-en-verb-TSoZCqwG Disambiguation of 'to change': 0 22 78
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: come to be, occur, transpire Translations (to come about): gebeuren (Dutch), tot stand komen (Dutch), шочаш (šočaš) (Eastern Mari), se passer (French), geschehen (German), powstawać [imperfective] (Polish), powstać [perfective] (Polish), получиться (polučitʹsja) [perfective] (Russian), ocurrir (Spanish), suceder (Spanish)
Disambiguation of 'to come about': 48 9 43

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "comes about",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "coming about",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "came about",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "come about",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "come<,,came,come> about"
      },
      "expansion": "come about (third-person singular simple present comes about, present participle coming about, simple past came about, past participle come about)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "48 21 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "46 25 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"about\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "47 24 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English verb forms using redundant wikisyntax",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "47 21 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "57 26 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "47 21 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "47 24 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "49 22 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Eastern Mari translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 22 33",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "48 23 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "43 25 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hebrew translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "43 24 33",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "43 25 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "49 23 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "We have to ask, how did this come about?",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1960 December, “The Hastings Line diesel-electric multiple units”, in Trains Illustrated, page 732:",
          "text": "In a review of operating experience with the Southern Region diesel-electric multiple-units on the Hastings line, read to the Institution of Locomotive Engineers in October, Mr. W. J. A. Sykes, Mechanical & Electrical Engineer of the S.R., revealed how the somehat unprepossessing appearance of these train sets came about.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To come to pass; to develop; to occur; to take place; to happen; to exist."
      ],
      "id": "en-come_about-en-verb-gUmw9G4n",
      "links": [
        [
          "come to pass",
          "come to pass"
        ],
        [
          "develop",
          "develop"
        ],
        [
          "occur",
          "occur"
        ],
        [
          "take place",
          "take place"
        ],
        [
          "happen",
          "happen"
        ],
        [
          "exist",
          "exist"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To come to pass; to develop; to occur; to take place; to happen; to exist."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "94 3 3",
          "sense": "to happen",
          "word": "come to pass"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Nautical",
          "orig": "en:Nautical",
          "parents": [
            "Transport",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To tack; to change tack; to maneuver the bow of a sailing vessel across the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other; to position a boat with respect to the wind after tacking. See also come to."
      ],
      "id": "en-come_about-en-verb-sxwqjDJL",
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "tack",
          "tack"
        ],
        [
          "maneuver",
          "maneuver"
        ],
        [
          "come to",
          "come to#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, nautical) To tack; to change tack; to maneuver the bow of a sailing vessel across the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other; to position a boat with respect to the wind after tacking. See also come to."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "44 56 0",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "nautical",
          "word": "overstag gaan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "44 56 0",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "nautical",
          "word": "wenden"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "44 56 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "nautical",
          "word": "wenden"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "44 56 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "nautical",
          "word": "ein Wendemanöver durchführen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "44 56 0",
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "roman": "pakām",
          "sense": "nautical",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "פָּקַם"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "44 56 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "nautical",
          "word": "ceñir"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vi]:",
          "text": "The wind is come about.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1611, Ben[jamin] Jonson, Catiline His Conspiracy, London: […] [William Stansby?] for Walter Burre, →OCLC, (please specify the page):",
          "text": "On better thoughts, and my urg'd reasons, / They are come about, and won to the true side.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To change; to come round."
      ],
      "id": "en-come_about-en-verb-TSoZCqwG",
      "links": [
        [
          "come round",
          "come round"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To change; to come round."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 22 78",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to change",
          "word": "van mening veranderen"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "36 38 26",
      "word": "come to be"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 38 26",
      "word": "occur"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 38 26",
      "word": "transpire"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "_dis1": "48 9 43",
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "word": "gebeuren"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "48 9 43",
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "word": "tot stand komen"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "48 9 43",
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "word": "se passer"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "48 9 43",
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "word": "geschehen"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "48 9 43",
      "code": "mhr",
      "lang": "Eastern Mari",
      "roman": "šočaš",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "word": "шочаш"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "48 9 43",
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "powstawać"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "48 9 43",
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "powstać"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "48 9 43",
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "polučitʹsja",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "получиться"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "48 9 43",
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "word": "ocurrir"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "48 9 43",
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "word": "suceder"
    }
  ],
  "word": "come about"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English irregular past participles",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs formed with \"about\"",
    "English verb forms using redundant wikisyntax",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Eastern Mari translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hebrew translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "comes about",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "coming about",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "came about",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "come about",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "come<,,came,come> about"
      },
      "expansion": "come about (third-person singular simple present comes about, present participle coming about, simple past came about, past participle come about)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "We have to ask, how did this come about?",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1960 December, “The Hastings Line diesel-electric multiple units”, in Trains Illustrated, page 732:",
          "text": "In a review of operating experience with the Southern Region diesel-electric multiple-units on the Hastings line, read to the Institution of Locomotive Engineers in October, Mr. W. J. A. Sykes, Mechanical & Electrical Engineer of the S.R., revealed how the somehat unprepossessing appearance of these train sets came about.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To come to pass; to develop; to occur; to take place; to happen; to exist."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "come to pass",
          "come to pass"
        ],
        [
          "develop",
          "develop"
        ],
        [
          "occur",
          "occur"
        ],
        [
          "take place",
          "take place"
        ],
        [
          "happen",
          "happen"
        ],
        [
          "exist",
          "exist"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To come to pass; to develop; to occur; to take place; to happen; to exist."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "en:Nautical"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To tack; to change tack; to maneuver the bow of a sailing vessel across the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other; to position a boat with respect to the wind after tacking. See also come to."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "tack",
          "tack"
        ],
        [
          "maneuver",
          "maneuver"
        ],
        [
          "come to",
          "come to#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, nautical) To tack; to change tack; to maneuver the bow of a sailing vessel across the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other; to position a boat with respect to the wind after tacking. See also come to."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vi]:",
          "text": "The wind is come about.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1611, Ben[jamin] Jonson, Catiline His Conspiracy, London: […] [William Stansby?] for Walter Burre, →OCLC, (please specify the page):",
          "text": "On better thoughts, and my urg'd reasons, / They are come about, and won to the true side.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To change; to come round."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "come round",
          "come round"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To change; to come round."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "to happen",
      "word": "come to pass"
    },
    {
      "word": "come to be"
    },
    {
      "word": "occur"
    },
    {
      "word": "transpire"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "word": "gebeuren"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "word": "tot stand komen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "word": "se passer"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "word": "geschehen"
    },
    {
      "code": "mhr",
      "lang": "Eastern Mari",
      "roman": "šočaš",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "word": "шочаш"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "powstawać"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "powstać"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "polučitʹsja",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "получиться"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "word": "ocurrir"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to come about",
      "word": "suceder"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "nautical",
      "word": "overstag gaan"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "nautical",
      "word": "wenden"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "nautical",
      "word": "wenden"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "nautical",
      "word": "ein Wendemanöver durchführen"
    },
    {
      "code": "he",
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "roman": "pakām",
      "sense": "nautical",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "פָּקַם"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "nautical",
      "word": "ceñir"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to change",
      "word": "van mening veranderen"
    }
  ],
  "word": "come about"
}

Download raw JSONL data for come about meaning in English (5.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-08 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (bb46d54 and 0c3c9f6). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.