comb

comb
\ \ [OE] Comb is an ancient word, which has been traced back to an Indo-European *gombhos. This appears to have signified ‘tooth’, for among its other descendants were Sanskrit jámbhastooth’ and Greek góphospin, tooth’. In prehistoric West and North Germanic it became *kambaz, which produced English comb, German kamm, and Dutch kam (probably borrowed into English in the 18th century as cam, originally ‘projecting cog-like part on a wheel for transferring motion’). The Old English verb formed from comb lasted dialectally as kemb until the 19th century, but today it survives only in unkempt.
\ \ The origin of the word’s application to honeycomb, first recorded in the 13th century, is not known.
\ \ Cf.OAKUM, UNKEMPT

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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Synonyms:
, / (for wool, hair, flax, etc.) / , (of a cock or bird) / , (of a wave) / , (with a comb), , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • comb — comb1 [kōm] n. [ME < OE camb, comb, lit., toothed object < IE * g̑ombhos (> Sans jámbah, Gr gomphos, tooth) < base * ĝembh ,ĝombh , to bite, tooth] 1. a thin strip of hard rubber, plastic, metal, etc. with teeth, passed through the… …   English World dictionary

  • Comb — Comb, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Combed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Combing}.] To disentangle, cleanse, or adjust, with a comb; to lay smooth and straight with, or as with, a comb; as, to comb hair or wool. See under {Combing}. [1913 Webster] Comb down his… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Comb — (k[=o]m; 110), n. [AS. camb; akin to Sw., Dan., & D. kam, Icel. kambr, G. kamm, Gr. ? a grinder tooth, Skr. jambha tooth.] 1. An instrument with teeth, for straightening, cleansing, and adjusting the hair, or for keeping it in place. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Comb — Comb, v. i. [See {Comb}, n., 5.] (Naut.) To roll over, as the top or crest of a wave; to break with a white foam, as waves. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Comb — Comb, Combe Combe (? or ?), n. [AS. comb, prob. of Celtic origin; cf. W. cwm a dale, valley.] That unwatered portion of a valley which forms its continuation beyond and above the most elevated spring that issues into it. [Written also {coombe}.]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • comb — (n.) O.E. camb comb, crest, honeycomb (later Anglian comb), from W.Gmc. *kambaz (Cf. O.S., O.H.G. camb, Ger. Kamm, M.Du. cam, Du. kam, O.N. kambr), lit. toothed object, from PIE *gombhos, from root *gembh to bite, tooth (Cf …   Etymology dictionary

  • comb — [v1] arrange hair adjust, card, cleanse, curry, disentangle, dress, groom, hackle, hatchel, lay smooth, rasp, scrape, separate, smooth, sort, straighten, tease, untangle; concept 162 comb [v2] search by ransacking beat, beat the bushes*, examine …   New thesaurus

  • comb — ► NOUN 1) an article with a row of narrow teeth, used for untangling or arranging the hair. 2) a device for separating and dressing textile fibres. 3) the red fleshy crest on the head of a domestic fowl, especially a cock. 4) a honeycomb. ► VERB… …   English terms dictionary

  • Comb — Comb, n. A dry measure. See {Coomb}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Comb — (spr. Kohm), englisches Getreidemaß, 100 C. = 265 preuß. Scheffel, 2 C. = 1 Imp. Quarter …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Comb — (spr. kōm oder kūm), engl. Hohlmaß, s. Coom …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

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