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“Come” or “Cum”

come / cum are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term.

Definitions

What each term means

Same sound, different spellings and meanings, shown with a pronunciation guide for each term.

come k·AH·m

  • verbmove toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody.
  • verbcome to pass; arrive, as in due course.
  • verbreach or enter a state, relation, condition, use, or position.
  • verbto be the product or result.
  • verbbe found or available.
  • verbextend or reach.
  • verbexist or occur in a certain point in a series.
  • verbcover a certain distance.
  • verbhappen as a result.
  • verbdevelop into.
  • verbbe received.
  • verbexperience orgasm.
  • verbhave a certain priority.

cum k·AH·m

No dictionary entry for this spelling — see the usage examples below for how it shows up in writing.

Usage

Examples in context

Real sentences for each spelling. Hover an example to copy it.

“come”

  • Plymouth Argyle, he had to come off after 35 minutes due
  • a major league team would come to Tampa, which would threaten
  • reputation had already begun to come under scrutiny, due to being
  • He tries to come off as imposing but just
  • Come the winter solstice the Oak
  • The Sandpipers - Come Saturday Morning (1970) - producer
  • made an abortive attempt to come to an understanding with the
  • the world today, did not come into use until the Joint
  • with his younger half-brothers, having come of age, to share with
  • factory, and the professional apprenticeship come before the first political experiences

“cum”

  • the University of Minnesota, graduating cum laude with a B.A.
  • He was a magna cum laude graduate of Carleton College,
  • Sir Christopher Wray in Ashby cum Fenby, Lincolnshire.
  • and not far from Ashby cum Fenby.
  • by Benedict XVI's Papal bull "Cum Ampla" as a suffragan of
  • She earned a BA, summa cum laude, from Hollins College (now
  • This was documented by Altrovandus in the mid
  • secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, diferentiis, synonymis, locis.
  • cum laude from Princeton University in
  • He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Colgate University (majoring

Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions are drawn from WordNet.

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