comb

¹ American  

[kohm] / koʊm /

noun

1. a toothed strip of plastic, hard rubber, bone, wood, or metal, used for arranging the hair, untangling it, or holding it in place.

2. a currycomb.

3. any comblike instrument, object, or formation.

4. the fleshy, more or less serrated outgrowth on the head of certain gallinaceous birds, especially the domestic fowl.

5. something resembling or suggesting this, as the crest of a wave.

6. a honeycomb, or any similar group of cells.

7. a machine for separating choice cotton or wool fibers from noil.

8. a comblike instrument for imparting a grainlike finish to a painted surface.

9. Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. a ridge of a roof.

10. a series of springlike prongs projecting from a spine, usually of plastic, for making a loose-leaf binding.

11. a trowel having a notched edge for applying adhesives in setting tiles or the like.

12. Armor. a ridge along the top of a helmet, especially of the morion.

13. Masonry. drag.

14. the upper edge of the buttstock of a rifle or shotgun.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to arrange or adorn (the hair) with a comb.

2. to use (something) in the manner of a comb.

   She was slowly combing her fingers through her hair.

3. to remove (anything undesirable) with or as if with a comb.

   She combed the snarls out of her hair. They combed the cowards from the group.

4. to search everywhere in.

   He combed the files for the missing letter.

5. to separate (textile fibers) with a comb.

6. to scrape with or as with a comb.

7. to sweep across; rake.

   High winds combed the seacoast.

verb (used without object)

1. to roll over or break at the crest, as a wave.

comb. ² American  

abbreviation

1. combination.

2. combined.

3. combining.

4. combustion.

---

comb British  

/ kəʊm /

noun

1. a toothed device of metal, plastic, wood, etc, used for disentangling or arranging hair

2. a tool or machine that separates, cleans, and straightens wool, cotton, etc

3. the fixed cutter on a sheep-shearing machine

4. anything resembling a toothed comb in form or function

5. the fleshy deeply serrated outgrowth on the top of the heads of certain birds, esp the domestic fowl

6. anything resembling the comb of a bird

7. a currycomb

8. a honeycomb

9. the row of fused cilia in a ctenophore

10. to examine very thoroughly

---

verb

1. (tr) to use a comb on

2. to search or inspect with great care

   the police combed the woods

comb Idioms  

1. see fine-tooth comb.

---

Other Word Forms

• combless adjective
• comblessness noun
• uncombed adjective
• well-combed adjective

Etymology

Origin of comb

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English comb, camb; cognate with Old High German kamb ( German Kamm ), Old Norse kambr, Greek gómphos “pin, peg,” gomphíos “molar tooth,” Slavic (Polish) ząb “tooth,” Tocharian A kam “tooth”; cam ¹, kempt

Explanation

A comb is a tool for smoothing your hair. You might pull a comb through your curls before you run out the door in the morning to catch your bus. A comb is made of plastic or wood, with separate teeth that untangle strands of hair. When you use one, you comb: "I grabbed the comb so I could comb my cat before the photo shoot." Another way to comb is to rummage or search, the way you comb through your bag to find your car keys. The Old English root is camb, "crest" or "honeycomb," from a Germanic root that means "toothed object."

Example Sentences

Thanks to “Cosmic Music,” anyone interested in her life and work doesn’t have to go comb through microfilm or ancient magazines to learn more about this unbelievably accomplished and completely fascinating human being.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026

Friends and loved ones continued to comb the area for signs of Cynthia, searching creeks and sewer drains and putting up flyers on utility poles.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

In experiments, this appears as a frequency comb.

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026

Another ship, which sailed from the southern Indian port city of Kochi to join the effort, continues to comb the waters for survivors and debris.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

“Mind your manners, Nell,” she scolded, handing me a comb and pointing toward the washbasin.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• examine
• forage
• inspect
• investigate
• rake
• rummage
• scour
• scrutinize
• search
• sift