Oncome
Origin 1
From Middle English oncomen, from Old English oncuman, ancuman ("to arrive, come upon, happen"), equivalent to - + come. Cognate with Dutch aankomen ("to arrive"), German ankommen ("to arrive"), Swedish ankomma ("to arrive").
Full definition of oncome
Verb
- (intransitive, rare) To arrive; come to; come on.
- 1844, Homerus, The Iliad, rendered in Homeric verse, by L. Shadwell:This said, and shaking his long dark spear, then forward he hurl'd it Into the fullround buckler of Priamides Alexander; Right thro' his glittering shield oncame the redoubtable warspear, On still advanced, throughpiercing his breastplate's various-art-work ...
- 1999, Alfred Corn, Stake: poems, 1972-1992:A trip from you. Taken. . . . Then time oncame ...
Origin 2
From Middle English oncome ("an attack"), equivalent to - + come. Compare Old English ancuman ("to arrive, come upon, happen"). More at ancome, income.
Noun
oncome
(plural oncomes)- Advent, arrival, approach; onset
- 1978, Edna O'Brien, I hardly knew you:I see the dawn or rather I feel the oncome of it.
- The commencement or initial stages of a business, especially of one which requires great exertion.
- The setting about of an action; development; progress.
- An attack; an attack or onset of a disease, fit, or episode.
- 1881, American journal of obstetrics and diseases of women and children: Volume 14:On inquiry it was found that this neurosis corresponded in time with the oncome of the catamenia.
- 1906, Appleton's magazine: Volume 7:"She often has oncomes," explained Angus shortly. "But now we will tell, for though but children, we talk straighter."
- (dialectal) A mysterious disease or ailment.
- 1858, Sir Walter Scott, The bride of Lammermoor:This woman had acquired a considerable reputation among the ignorant by the pretended cures which she performed, especially in oncomes, as the Scotch call them, or mysterious diseases, which baffle the regular physician.
- (dialectal) A heavy fall of rain or snow; cloudburst.
- (of a chimney) The lower edge of a fire-clay lining piece.