come to a head

English

Alternative forms

• bring something to a head

Pronunciation

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Verb

come to a head (third-person singular simple present comes to a head, present participle coming to a head, simple past came to a head, past participle come to a head)

1. (idiomatic) To rapidly reach a turning point or climax.

   The escalating crisis between England and her American colonies came to a head when fighting broke out in 1775.

2. (idiomatic) To suddenly reveal that which has lain latent for a time.

   His festering anger came to a head after the incident.

3. (idiomatic) To suddenly make mature or perfected that which was inchoate or imperfectly formed.
4. (medicine, of an abscess) To reach its final stage.

Translations

to rapidly reach a turning point or climax

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Bengali: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: please add this translation if you can

  Mandarin: 到緊要關頭／到紧要关头 (dào jǐnyào guāntóu), 到紧要关头 (dào jǐnyàoguāntóu), 到轉折點／到转折点 (dào zhuǎnzhédiǎn), 到转折点 (dào zhuǎnzhédiǎn), 進入緊要關頭／进入紧要关头 (jìnrù jǐnyào guāntóu), 进入紧要关头 (jìnrù jǐnyàoguāntóu), 進入轉折點／进入转折点 (jìnrù zhuǎnzhédiǎn), 进入转折点 (jìnrù zhuǎnzhédiǎn)

  Min Nan: please add this translation if you can

  Wu: 到要緊個辰光／到要紧个辰光, 到要紧个辰光 (tau (T²) + iau jin (T¹) + eq (T⁴) + zen kuaan (T³))

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• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hindi: please add this translation if you can
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• Italian: please add this translation if you can
• Japanese: 熟する (jukusuru)
• Norman: têter
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to suddenly reveal that which has lain latent for a time

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can

to suddenly make mature or perfected that which was inchoate or imperfectly formed

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: назреть (ru) pf (nazrétʹ), назревать (ru) impf (nazrevátʹ)

to reach its final stage

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

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• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Khmer: ពង (km) (pɔɔng)
• Russian: нарвать (ru) pf (narvátʹ), нарывать (ru) impf (naryvátʹ)