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Glite Dictionary
to come to hand

to come to hand

1 6.3
To become available to someone, often information or documents
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : llegar a conocerse
  • The great McGregor come to hand at last.

Examples

  • We will broadcast further details as they come to hand.

    The Face of Fu Manchu (1965)

  • I expected to find my blushing muse in the next book that came to hand.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • The test came to hand serendipitously.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • New evidence has come to hand on the disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain.

    Evil Angels (1988)

  • Eagerly, they absorb every line of the rationed information as it comes to hand.

    Spitfire (2018)

  • New evidence has come to hand regarding the ongoing investigation.

  • Updates about the project will come to hand as we progress.

  • Important facts about the case gradually come to hand during the review.

Synonyms

to come out
vsto come to hand
830 2.9

To become known to people after being hidden

also covers gaining possession or private awareness instead of only public revelation
to come along
vsto come to hand
183 3.0

To appear or arrive when you do not expect it

covers becoming known or entering a person's possession rather than mere availability
to turn up
vsto come to hand
155 3.0

To find something while searching or by chance

emphasizes becoming known or received without implying a search
to come into
vsto come to hand
105 3.9

To receive money or property unexpectedly, often after someone dies

includes becoming known as well as receiving items or awareness
to come to light
vsto come to hand
52 3.9

To become known after being hidden

also includes gaining possession or entering a person's awareness
to come forth
vsto come to hand
  • Formal
7 4.2

Appear from a place, often suddenly

focuses on becoming known or received rather than physical emergence
to come to daylight
vsto come to hand
5.1

To become known after being hidden

also applies to acquiring items or awareness instead of only being revealed

Antonyms

to hide
∞ 1.0

To keep something so others cannot see or understand it

Surface Forms

come to hand infinitive
came to hand past
come to hand past participle
coming to hand present participle
comes to hand third person singular

Morphology

come + to + hand

The core sense can be inferred from 'come' (to arrive) plus 'hand' used metonymically for possession or availability, so 'come to hand' plausibly means 'come into one's possession / become available' and similar constructions exist in other languages. However, the metonymic extension and occasional formal/idiomatic sense 'become known' make the exact interpretation less fully predictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure.

Etymology

Come to hand comes from the simple image of come meaning 'arrive' and hand meaning 'your hand', like a letter or document arriving into your hand. That's why it now means 'become known' or 'come into someone's hands'.