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comb.

abbr.

1. combination

2. combustion

comb

(kōm)

a. A thin toothed strip, as of plastic, used to smooth, arrange, or fasten the hair.

b. An implement, such as one for dressing and cleansing wool or other fiber, that resembles a hair comb in shape or use.

c. A currycomb.

a. The fleshy crest or ridge that grows on the crown of the head of domestic fowl and other birds and is most prominent in the male.

b. Something suggesting a fowl's comb in appearance or position.

3. A honeycomb.

v. combed, comb·ing, combs

v.tr.

a. To arrange or groom (the hair) with or as with a comb: combed her hair with a comb; combed his hair with his fingers.

b. To move through or pass across with a raking action: The wind combed the wheatfields.

2. To straighten and separate (wool or other fibers) using a comb.

3. To search thoroughly; look through: combed the dresser drawers for a lost bracelet.

4. To eliminate with or as with a comb: combed the snarls out of his hair.

v.intr.

1. To roll and break. Used of waves.

2. To make a thorough search: combed through the file for the contract.

[Middle English, from Old English camb, comb; see gembh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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comb

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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