come by verb 2exclamation 1forms 3 verb2 •To come near to; to pass; to visit.Your beau came by while you were shopping. •To obtain; to get, especially by chance or involuntarily.A loyal friend is hard to come by.Somehow he came by a substantial fortune. exclamation1 •A command to a sheepdog to move clockwise around the sheep. formscame by · coming by · comes by