Comb
[kəʊm] or [kom]
Definition
(noun.) the act of drawing a comb through hair; 'his hair needed a comb'.
(noun.) the fleshy red crest on the head of the domestic fowl and other gallinaceous birds.
(noun.) ciliated comb-like swimming plate of a ctenophore.
(noun.) a flat device with narrow pointed teeth on one edge; disentangles or arranges hair.
(noun.) any of several tools for straightening fibers.
(verb.) smoothen and neaten with or as with a comb; 'comb your hair before dinner'; 'comb the wool'.
(verb.) search thoroughly; 'They combed the area for the missing child'.
(verb.) straighten with a comb; 'comb your hair'.
Checker: Nanette--From WordNet
Definition
(n.) An instrument with teeth, for straightening, cleansing, and adjusting the hair, or for keeping it in place.
(n.) An instrument for currying hairy animals, or cleansing and smoothing their coats; a currycomb.
(n.) A toothed instrument used for separating and cleansing wool, flax, hair, etc.
(n.) The serrated vibratory doffing knife of a carding machine.
(n.) A former, commonly cone-shaped, used in hat manufacturing for hardening the soft fiber into a bat.
(n.) A tool with teeth, used for chasing screws on work in a lathe; a chaser.
(n.) The notched scale of a wire micrometer.
(n.) The collector of an electrical machine, usually resembling a comb.
(n.) The naked fleshy crest or caruncle on the upper part of the bill or hood of a cock or other bird. It is usually red.
(n.) One of a pair of peculiar organs on the base of the abdomen of scorpions.
(n.) The curling crest of a wave.
(n.) The waxen framework forming the walls of the cells in which bees store their honey, eggs, etc.; honeycomb.
(n.) The thumbpiece of the hammer of a gunlock, by which it may be cocked.
(v. t.) 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.
(n.) To roll over, as the top or crest of a wave; to break with a white foam, as waves.
(n.) Alt. of Combe
(n.) A dry measure. See Coomb.
Inputed by Abner
Definition
n. a toothed instrument for separating and cleaning hair wool flax &c.: the crest of a cock: the top or crest of a wave or of a hill: an aggregation of cells for honey.—v.t. to separate arrange or clean by means of a comb: to dress with a comb: (Shak.) to beat.—v.i. to break with a white foam as the top of a wave.—adj. Combed.—n. Comb′er one who or that which combs wool &c.—n.pl. Comb′ings hairs combed off.—adjs. Comb′less (Shak.) without a comb; Comb′wise; Comb′y.—n. Crop′-comb a semicircular comb worn by girls.—Comb off to remove.
Checker: Osbert
Examples
- By the above singular manner of building, strength is continually given to the comb, with the utmost ultimate economy of wax. Charles Darwin. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
- The Story in a Honey-Comb[12] Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- The brush being dipped into the coloured matter, the comb is passed over the brush in such manner as to cause the paint to spatter the object with fine drops or particles. William Henry Doolittle. Inventions in the Century.
- There were the means of washing in the room, and a comb and brush to smooth my hair. Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre.
- One night last summer he glared at me like Famine and Sword, and it made me feel so low that I didn't comb out my few hairs for two days. Thomas Hardy. The Return of the Native.
- In our poultry, a large tuft of feathers on the head is generally accompanied by a diminished comb, and a large beard by diminished wattles. Charles Darwin. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
- The bow is ornamented with a steel comb with a battle-ax attachment which threatens to cut passing boats in two occasionally, but never does. Mark Twain. The Innocents Abroad.
- This combed out the matted tow of the hemp into clean, straight fiber. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- But she washed her face and hands in hot water, and combed her hair--that was a blessing. D. H. Lawrence. Women in Love .
- If you had only settled down and married Joe Pouch's widow when he died in North America, SHE'D have combed your hair for you. Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- I washed, combed my hair and we went down the stairs. Ernest Hemingway. A Farewell To Arms.
- The master himself was a man of about forty, with black hair, and carefully combed whiskers. Charles Dickens. The Pickwick Papers.
- In connection with the cards, combers and strippers are used to assist in further cleaning and straightening the fibre, which is finally removed from the cards and the combs by the doffer. William Henry Doolittle. Inventions in the Century.
- They grow on this road, Meg, so do combs and brown straw hats. Louisa May Alcott. Little Women.
- Thirdly, that little man in St. James' Street, who sells box-combs, I forget his name, cut her hair at least an inch too short on the forehead. Harriette Wilson. The Memoirs of Harriette Wilson.
- There are patents for belts without number, for electric gloves, rings, bracelets, necklaces, trusses, corsets, shoes, hats, combs, brushes, chairs, couches, and blankets. Edward W. Byrn. The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century.
- When we left the Azores, we wore awful capotes and used fine tooth combs--successfully. Mark Twain. The Innocents Abroad.
- Cleverly do they extract the sweet juices of flowers to fill the emptiness of many-celled combs. Fergus Hume. The Island of Fantasy.
- The whole array of toilet articles, including combs, brushes, mirrors, shoe horns, etc. Edward W. Byrn. The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century.
- He put the tray with the breakfast and the letter on the dressing-table, before which Becky sat combing her yellow hair. William Makepeace Thackeray. Vanity Fair.
- She recommenced combing her hair, long as a mermaid's. Charlotte Bronte. Shirley.
- Originally this was done by combing it with teasles, a sort of dried burr of vegetable growth, having a multitude of fine hook-shaped points. Edward W. Byrn. The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century.
Typed by Brandon