Pronunciations (9)
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/kəʊm/
Pronunciation notes
- Received-Pronunciation
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/koʊm/
Pronunciation notes
- US
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/kəʉm/
Pronunciation notes
- Australia
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/kɐʉm/
Pronunciation notes
- New-Zealand
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/kom/
Pronunciation notes
- Scotland
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/koːm/
Pronunciation notes
- Wales
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kəʊm
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kəʊm
Pronunciation notes
- GB
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koʊm
Pronunciation notes
- US
Noun
A toothed implement: A toothed implement for grooming the hair or (formerly) for keeping it in place.
- Examples
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More examples (1)
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;[…].
A toothed implement: A machine used in separating choice cotton fibers from worsted cloth fibers.
A toothed implement: The toothed plate at the top and bottom of an escalator that prevents objects getting trapped between the moving stairs and fixed landings.
A toothed implement: A toothed tool used for chasing screws on work in a lathe; a chaser.
A toothed implement: The notched scale of a wire micrometer.
A toothed implement: The collector of an electrical machine, usually resembling a comb.
A toothed implement: A toothed plate used for creating wells in agar gels for electrophoresis.
A toothed implement: A toothed wooden pick used to push the weft thread tightly against the previous pass of thread to create a tight weave.
A toothed implement: One of a pair of peculiar organs on the base of the abdomen in scorpions, with which they comb substrate.
A toothed implement: A ctene.
- Examples
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Ctenophores are mostly planktonic creatures about the size and shape of a kiwi fruit or grape, bearing rows of beating "combs."
A crest: A fleshy growth on the top of the head of some birds and reptiles; crest.
- Examples
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More examples (1)
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.
A crest: A crest (of metal, leather, etc) on a piece of armor, especially on a helmet.
Usage- broadly
- Examples
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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.
More examples (2)
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, […]
A crest: The top part of a gun’s stock.
A structure of hexagon cells made by bees for storing honey; honeycomb.
- Examples
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More examples (1)
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.
The main body of a harmonica containing the air chambers and to which the reed plates are attached.
A former, commonly cone-shaped, used in hat manufacturing for hardening soft fibre.
An old English measure of corn equal to the half quarter.
- Examples
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But the comb or half quarter is very general in the Eastern counties, particularly in Norfolk.
The curling crest of a wave; a comber.
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.
A kind of vertical plate in a lode.
Usage- Cornwall
- Obsolete
Verb
Especially of hair or fur, to groom with a toothed implement, especially a comb.
Usage- Transitive
- Examples
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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
To separate choice cotton fibers from worsted cloth fibers.
Usage- Transitive
To search thoroughly as if raking over an area with a comb.
Usage- Transitive
- Examples
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Police combed the field for evidence after the assault.
The search party, consisting of family and friends, combed the woods and the survey site thoroughly.
To roll over, as the top or crest of a wave; to break with a white foam, as waves.
Usage- Intransitive
To turn a vessel parallel to (the track of) (a torpedo) so as to reduce one's size as a target.
Usage- Transitive
- Examples
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More examples (1)
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.
Noun
a flat device with narrow pointed teeth on one edge; disentangles or arranges hair
- Broader terms
the fleshy red crest on the head of the domestic fowl and other gallinaceous birds
- Broader terms
any of several tools for straightening fibers
- Broader terms
ciliated comb-like swimming plate of a ctenophore
- Broader terms
the act of drawing a comb through hair
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
- Examples
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his hair needed a comb
Verb
straighten with a comb
- Broader terms
- Examples
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comb your hair
search thoroughly
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
- Examples
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They combed the area for the missing child
smoothen and neaten with or as with a comb
- Synonyms
- Examples
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comb your hair before dinner
comb the wool