be·come (bĭ-kŭm')

v., -came (-kām'), -come, -com·ing, -comes.

v.intr.
To grow or come to be: became more knowledgeable; will become clearer in the morning.

v.tr.

1. To be appropriate or suitable to: "It would not become me . . . to interfere with parties" (Jonathan Swift).
2. To show to advantage; look good with: The new suit becomes you.

phrasal verb:

become of

1. To be the fate of; happen to: What has become of the old garden?

[Middle English bicomen, from Old English becuman.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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