Obs. or dial. Forms: 6–7 uncome, 6–8 ancome, 7 ancombe, 8 andicomb. [Of somewhat doubtful formation; expl. by Elyot, Baret, etc., as ‘adventitius morbus’; thus evidently viewed by them as a derivative of COME (cf. income revenue). Hence prob. a variant of northern Eng. on-come (14th c.) ‘visitation, access of disease,’ perh. a partially translated adaptation of Norse ákoma, ‘arrival, visitation, eruption on the skin.’ On-come would also easily yield the 16th-c. variant uncome; the mod.Sc. and north Eng. in-come, used in a similar sense, shows a further refashioning of the prefix; cf. amid, among, with their variants on mid, in mid, o mong, on mong, in mong. The later spellings ancombe, andicomb, show that the word was no longer understood.] ‘An ulcerous swelling rising unexpectedly’ (Wright); a boil; an imposthume; by some later authors applied to a whitlow.
[a. 1300. Cursor Mundi, 5910 (Cott. MS.). Hard on-come sal i send him [Pharaoh] sere, Bath on him and his kingrike.]
1538. Elyot (in Prom. Par., 154 note), Adventitius morbus sycknes that cometh without our defaute, and of some men is called an uncome.
1544. Act 34–5 Hen. VIII., viii. Vncomes of hands, scaldings, burnings.
1580. Baret, Alv., F 382. A fellon, vncomme, or cattes haire; a bile or sore that riseth in mans bodie, furunculus. Ibid., A 380. An Ancome, Aduentitius morbus.
1605. Marston, etc., Eastw. Hoe, III. ii. I have seene a little prick, no bigger than a pins head, swel bigger and bigger till it has come to an ancome.
1660. Hexham, Dutch Dict., Vijt, an Ancombe, or a Sore upon ones finger.
1678. A. Littleton, Lat. Dict., Clavus … a whitlow or andicomb.
1736. Bailey, Househ. Dict., 102. Betony … will bring ancomes and impostumes to a suppuration.
