come about

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English

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Verb

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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.
    We have to ask, how did this come about?
    • 1960 December, “The Hastings Line diesel-electric multiple units”, in Trains Illustrated, page 732:
      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.
  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.
  3. (intransitive) To change; to come round.

Synonyms

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Translations

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