comb
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: algebraic-geometry
business
entertainment
geometry
government
lifestyle
manufacturing
mathematics
military
mining
music
nautical
naval
navy
politics
sciences
textiles
transport
war
weaving
Etymology: From Middle English comb, from Old English camb (“comb”), from Proto-West Germanic *kamb, from Proto-Germanic *kambaz (“comb”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵómbʰos (“tooth”), a doublet of cam. The verb is derived from the noun and displaced the older verb kemb.
Cognates
Compare Saterland Frisian Koum, Swedish/Dutch kam, Danish kam, Norwegian kam, German Kamm; also Tocharian B keme, Lithuanian žam̃bas (“sharp edge”), Old Church Slavonic зѫбъ (zǫbŭ), Albanian dhëmb, Ancient Greek γομφίος (gomphíos, “backtooth, molar”), Sanskrit जम्भ (jambha)).
Inflected forms:
form: combs
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: combs
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: combing
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: combed
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: combed
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: A toothed implement:
pos: noun
examples: There was also hairdressing: hairdressing, too, really was hairdressing in those times — no running a comb through it and that was that. It was curled, frizzed, waved, put in curlers overnight, waved with hot tongs;[…].
gloss: A toothed implement:
pos: noun
gloss: A toothed implement:
pos: noun
gloss: A toothed implement:
pos: noun
gloss: A toothed implement:
pos: noun
gloss: A toothed implement:
pos: noun
gloss: A toothed implement:
pos: noun
gloss: A toothed implement:
pos: noun
gloss: A toothed implement:
pos: noun
gloss: A toothed implement:
pos: noun
examples: Ctenophores are mostly planktonic creatures about the size and shape of a kiwi fruit or grape, bearing rows of beating "combs."
gloss: A crest:
pos: noun
examples: I also obtained here a specimen of the rare green jungle-fowl (Gallus furcatus), whose back and neck are beautifully scaled with bronzy feathers, and whose smooth-edged oval comb is of a violet purple colour, changing to green at the base.
gloss: A crest:
pos: noun
tags: broadly
examples: The head-dress of the Horse Grenadiers consists of a peculiar leather helmet with a comb of bear's skin passing over it from ear to ear and a long scarlet […]
The armet has usually a low central cabled comb with parallel flutes on either side, occasionally there are three or five combs.
The combs or elbow pieces are beautifully made, and over the right armpit is […]
Charles I. (Edinburgh Castle) The Pikeman of the time of James I. was accoutred in a morion-shaped helmet with a comb of moderate size and a flat brim, […]
gloss: A crest:
pos: noun
gloss: A structure of hexagon cells made by bees for storing honey; honeycomb.
pos: noun
examples: The combs of the wild bees are found on overhanging precipices, and the only means by which they can be reached is to descend from above on narrow cane ladders just wide enough for a man’s foot, and often 300 feet to 400 feet long.
gloss: The main body of a harmonica containing the air chambers and to which the reed plates are attached.
pos: noun
gloss: A former, commonly cone-shaped, used in hat manufacturing for hardening soft fibre.
pos: noun
gloss: An old English measure of corn equal to the half quarter.
pos: noun
examples: But the comb or half quarter is very general in the Eastern counties, particularly in Norfolk.
gloss: The curling crest of a wave; a comber.
pos: noun
gloss: A connected and reduced curve with irreducible components consisting of a smooth subcurve (called the handle) and one or more additional irreducible components (called teeth) that each intersect the handle in a single point that is unequal to the unique point of intersection for any of the other teeth.
pos: noun
gloss: A kind of vertical plate in a lode.
pos: noun
tags: Cornwall
obsolete
gloss: Especially of hair or fur, to groom with a toothed implement, especially a comb.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: I like the way you comb your hair / And I like those stylish clothes you wear / It's just the little things you do / That show how much you really care
gloss: To separate choice cotton fibers from worsted cloth fibers.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
gloss: To search thoroughly as if raking over an area with a comb.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: Police combed the field for evidence after the assault.
gloss: To roll over, as the top or crest of a wave; to break with a white foam, as waves.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
gloss: To turn a vessel parallel to (the track of) (a torpedo) so as to reduce one's size as a target.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: The aircraft split up so as to attack from different, preselected bearings, thus confusing the gunners and making it difficult for the ship to comb torpedo tracks.
Sixteen torpedo bombers divided their attention between the two ships. Repulse combed the torpedo wakes and knocked down two of the attackers.
Related words: kemb
kempt
unkempt
Derived words: Afro comb
beard comb
bluecomb
carding-comb
coaming
cock's comb test
comb-brush
comb ceramic
comb-crested jacana
comb filter
combfish
comb-footed spider
combful
comb-honey
combjelly
comb jelly
comb-jelly
comb joint
combless
comblike
combmaker
combmaking
comb-out
combover
comb-over
comb test
combwise
comby
currycomb
curry-comb
curry comb
cut someone's comb
detection comb
Dirac comb
drop at comb
fine-tooth comb
fine-toothed comb
fine-tooth comb test
flaxcomb
fungus comb
horse comb
horse-comb
hot comb
lady's comb
mane-comb
microcomb
nit comb
pea comb
pintail comb
polycomb
pressing comb
razor comb
roof comb
rose comb
sex comb
toothcomb
tooth comb
tooth-comb
two bald men fighting over a comb
Venus comb
Venus' comb
Venus's comb
wax comb
Welsh comb
welsh-comb
woolcomb
Wycherley comb
backcomb
combability
combable
comb down
combing ridge
comb one's hair
comb out
comb over
comb someone's hair the wrong way
comb through
finger-comb
overcomb
Welsh-comb
Translations:
lang: Afrikaans
word: kam
lang: Akan
word: afe
lang: Albanian
word: krehër
lang: Southern Altai
word: тарак
roman: tarak
lang: Amharic
word: ማበጠሪያ
roman: mabäṭäriya
lang: Arabic
word: مُشْط
roman: mušṭ
lang: Arabic
word: مِشْط
roman: mišṭ
lang: Arabic
word: مِمْشَط
roman: mimšaṭ
lang: Arabic
word: مشط
roman: mišṭ
lang: Arabic
word: مُشط
roman: mušuṭ
lang: Arabic
word: مشطة
roman: mašṭa
lang: Armenian
word: սանր
roman: sanr
lang: Aromanian
word: cheaptini
lang: Aromanian
word: chiaptini
lang: Aromanian
word: cheaptine
lang: Aromanian
word: chiaptine
lang: Assamese
word: ফণি
roman: phoni
lang: Assamese
word: কাঁকৈ
roman: kãkoi
lang: Asturian
word: peñe
lang: Asturian
word: peine
lang: Aymara
word: sanu
lang: Azerbaijani
word: daraq
lang: Bashkir
word: тараҡ
roman: taraq
lang: Basque
word: orrazi
lang: Belarusian
word: расчо́ска
roman: rasčóska
lang: Belarusian
word: грэ́бень
roman: hrébjenʹ
lang: Belarusian
word: грабяне́ц
roman: hrabjanjéc
lang: Bengali
word: চিরুনি
roman: ciruni
lang: Bengali
word: কাঁকই
roman: kãkoi
lang: Bengali
word: ফনী
roman: phoni
lang: Bhojpuri
word: कंघी
roman: kaṅghī
lang: Central Bikol
word: hugay
lang: Central Bikol
word: sukray
lang: Breton
word: krib
lang: Breton
word: kriboù
lang: Bulgarian
word: гре́бен
roman: grében
lang: Burmese
word: ဘီး
roman: bhi:
lang: Buryat
word: һам
roman: ham
lang: Catalan
word: pinta
lang: Chakma
word: 𑄛𑄪𑄚𑄨
roman: puni
lang: Chechen
word: ехк
roman: jexk
lang: Cherokee
word: ᎠᎵᏔᏬᏍᏗ
roman: alitawosdi
lang: Chinese Cantonese
word: 梳
roman: so¹
lang: Chinese
word: муфу
roman: mufu
lang: Chinese
word: муфур
roman: mufur
lang: Chinese
word: муфузы
roman: mufuzɨ
lang: Eastern Min Chinese
word: 頭梳 /头梳
roman: tàu-sĕ̤
lang: Gan Chinese
word: 梳子
roman: su¹ zi
lang: Hakka Chinese
word: 梳仔
roman: sṳ̂-é
lang: Chinese
word: 捋仔
roman: loa̍h-á
lang: Chinese
word: 柴梳
roman: chhâ-soe / chhâ-se
lang: Chinese
word: 頭梳 /头梳
roman: thâu-soe
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 梳子
roman: shūzi
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 篦
roman: bì
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 木梳
roman: mùshū
lang: Northern Min Chinese
word: 頭梳 /头梳
roman: tê-sú
lang: Wu Chinese
word: 木梳
roman: ⁸moq-sy
lang: East Circassian
word: мажьэ
roman: maźɛ
lang: West Circassian
word: шъхьэмажьэ
roman: ŝḥɛmaźɛ
lang: Czech
word: hřeben
lang: Dalmatian
word: piacno
lang: Danish
word: kam
lang: Dongxiang
word: san
lang: Dutch
word: kam
lang: Egyptian
word: mꜥšꜣdjdjt
lang: Elfdalian
word: kamb
lang: Esperanto
word: kombilo
lang: Estonian
word: kamm
lang: Faroese
word: kambur
lang: Finnish
word: kampa
lang: French
word: peigne
lang: Friulian
word: pietin
lang: Fwâi
word: bahlic
lang: Galician
word: peite
lang: Galician
word: pente
lang: Galician
word: pieite
lang: Gamilaraay
word: baadal
lang: Georgian
word: სავარცხელი
roman: savarcxeli
lang: German
word: Kamm
lang: Greek
word: χτένα
roman: chténa
lang: Ancient Greek
word: κτείς
roman: kteís
lang: Greenlandic
word: illaagutit
lang: Gujarati
word: કાંસકી
roman: kā̃skī
lang: Gujarati
word: કાંસકો
roman: kā̃sko
lang: Haitian Creole
word: peny
lang: Hausa
word: matsēfi
lang: Hebrew
word: מַסרֵק
roman: masrek
lang: Hindi
word: कंघी
roman: kaṅghī
lang: Hungarian
word: fésű
lang: Icelandic
word: greiða
lang: Icelandic
word: kambur
lang: Ido
word: pektilo
lang: Indonesian
word: sisir
lang: Ingrian
word: suka
lang: Ingush
word: ехк
roman: jexk
lang: Interlingua
word: pectine
lang: Irish
word: cíor
lang: Italian
word: pettine
lang: Japanese
word: 櫛
roman: kushi
lang: Javanese
word: jungkat
lang: Jawe
word: balic
lang: Jeju
word: 빗
roman: bit
lang: Kalmyk
word: сам
roman: sam
lang: Kannada
word: ಬಾಚಣಿಗೆ
roman: bācaṇige
lang: Kapampangan
word: asue
lang: Kazakh
word: тарақ
roman: taraq
lang: Khmer
word: ក្រាស
roman: kraah
lang: Khmu
word: ຈຶນດຣັຽຍຫ
lang: Konkani
word: फणी
roman: phaṇī
lang: Korean
word: 빗
roman: bit
lang: Central Kurdish
word: شانە
roman: şane
lang: Northern Kurdish
word: şe
lang: Northern Kurdish
word: şeh
lang: Kyrgyz
word: тарак
roman: tarak
lang: Lao
word: ຫວີ
roman: h
lang: Latin
word: pecten
lang: Latvian
word: ķemme
lang: Latvian
word: suka
lang: Lingala
word: likombo
lang: Lithuanian
word: šukos
lang: Lombard
word: pèttin
lang: Lombard
word: peten
lang: Lower Tanana
word: tthizruya'
lang: Luxembourgish
word: Kamp
lang: Macedonian
word: чешел
roman: češel
lang: Malagasy
word: hogo
lang: Malay
word: sikat
lang: Brunei Malay
word: sisir
lang: Malayalam
word: ചീപ്പ്
roman: cīppŭ
lang: Maltese
word: moxt
lang: Maltese
word: pettne
lang: Māori
word: heru
lang: Marathi
word: कंगवा
roman: kaṅgvā
lang: Marathi
word: फणी
roman: phaṇī
lang: Megleno-Romanian
word: chiaptini
lang: Middle English
word: comb
lang: Central Sierra Miwok
word: jaṭís·a-
lang: Mongolian
word: сам
roman: sam
lang: Mongolian
word: ᠰᠠᠮ
roman: sam
lang: Neapolitan
word: pettene
lang: Nemi
word: balic
lang: Nemi
word: bahlic
lang: Nepali
word: काइँयो
roman: kāĩyo
lang: Norman
word: dêmêleux
lang: Norman
word: dêmêle
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: kam
lang: Norwegian Nynorsk
word: kam
lang: Nupe
word: tíshe
lang: Nupe
word: tíshegi
lang: Occitan
word: penche
lang: Odia
word: ପାନିଆ
roman: pāniā
lang: Okinawan
word: さばち
roman: sabachi
lang: Old English
word: camb
lang: Oromo
word: faaqqee
lang: Oromo
word: filoo
lang: Ossetian
word: сӕрвасӕн
roman: særvasæn
lang: Pannonian Rusyn
word: гребень
roman: hrebenʹ
lang: Papiamentu
word: peña
lang: Pashto
word: ږمنځ
roman: ģmënźl
lang: Pashto
word: ګنز
lang: Pela
word: pjɛ̠³⁵
lang: Iranian Persian
word: شانِه
roman: šâne
lang: Pije
word: bahlic
lang: Plautdietsch
word: Kaum
lang: Polish
word: grzebień
lang: Polish
word: grzebyk
lang: Portuguese
word: pente
lang: Punjabi
word: ਕੰਘਾ
roman: kaṅghā
lang: Quechua
word: ñaqch'a
lang: Quechua
word: ñagca
lang: Quechua
word: nagza
lang: Romani
word: kangli
lang: Romanian
word: pieptene
lang: Romansh
word: petgen
lang: Romansh
word: pettan
lang: Russian
word: расчёска
roman: rasčóska
lang: Russian
word: гре́бень
roman: grébenʹ
lang: Russian
word: гребёнка
roman: grebjónka
lang: Russian
word: гребешо́к
roman: grebešók
lang: Northern Sami
word: čohkun
lang: Northern Sami
word: čogu
lang: Northern Sami
word: gálggan
lang: Skolt-Sami
word: čååǥǥam
lang: Sanskrit
word: कंकत
roman: kaṃkata
lang: Sardinian
word: petene
lang: Sardinian
word: petini
lang: Sardinian
word: petiri
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: cìr
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: че̏шаљ
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: čȅšalj
lang: Sicilian
word: pèttini
lang: Sinhalese
word: පනාව
roman: panāwa
lang: Slovak
word: hrebeň
lang: Slovene
word: glavnik
lang: Upper Sorbian
word: česak
lang: Spanish
word: peine
lang: Spanish
word: peineta
lang: Sranan Tongo
word: kankan
lang: Swahili
word: kitana
lang: Swedish
word: kam
lang: Tagalog
word: suklay
lang: Tagalog
word: peyneta
lang: Tajik
word: шона
roman: šona
lang: Tamil
word: சீப்பு
roman: cīppu
lang: Tarifit
word: tamšeṭ
lang: Tatar
word: тарак
roman: taraq
lang: Telugu
word: దువ్వెన
roman: duvvena
lang: Thai
word: หวี
roman: wǐi
lang: Tibetan
word: རྒྱུག་ཤད
roman: rgyug shad
lang: Tibetan
word: སྐྲ་ཤད
roman: skra shad
lang: Tibetan
word: དབུ་ཤད
roman: dbu shad
lang: Tigrinya
word: መመሸጥ
roman: mämäšäṭ
lang: Torwali
word: کأنگ
lang: Tulu
word: ദൂബിന
roman: dūbina
lang: Turkish
word: tarak
lang: Ottoman Turkish
word: طراق
roman: tarak
lang: Turkmen
word: darak
lang: Ukrainian
word: гре́бінь
roman: hrébinʹ
lang: Ukrainian
word: гребіне́ць
roman: hrebinécʹ
lang: Urdu
word: کَن٘گھی
roman: kaṅghī
lang: Uyghur
word: تاغاق
roman: taghaq
lang: Uzbek
word: taroq
lang: Venetan
word: petene
lang: Venetan
word: peten
lang: Vietnamese
word: lược
lang: Volapük
word: köb
lang: Walloon
word: pingne
lang: Walloon
word: discramioe
lang: Walloon
word: discomeloe
lang: Welsh
word: crib
lang: Yakut
word: тараах
roman: taraaq
lang: Yiddish
word: קאַם
roman: kam
lang: Yoruba
word: òòyà
lang: Yoruba
word: ìyarun
lang: Yoruba
word: kóòmù
lang: Zazaki
word: şone (diq)