1
general::
1. Acquire, obtain, as in A good assistant is hard to come by. This usage, dating from about 1600, superseded the earlier sense of acquiring something with considerable effort. A variant is come by honestly, meaning "to obtain in some honorable or logical way." For example, I'm sure she didn't come by that large bonus honestly, or He does have an unusual gait but he came by it honestly; his father's is the same. 2. Stop in, visit, as in Please come by whenever you're in the neighborhood. [Late 1800s]
American Heritage Idioms
2
general::
Phrase(s): come by (some place)
to stop some place for a visit. • Can you come by our place for a few minutes on the way home? • Please come by sometime., Phrase(s): come by something
1. Lit. to travel by a specific means, such as a plane, a boat, or a car. • We came by train. It’s more relaxing. • Next time, we’ll come by plane. It’s faster. 2. Fig. to find or get something. • How did you come by that haircut? • Where did you come by that new shirt?
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs