comb

1 of 3

noun

1
a
: a toothed instrument used especially for adjusting, cleaning, or confining hair
b
: a structure resembling such a comb
especially : any of several toothed devices used in handling or ordering textile fibers
c
2
a
: a fleshy crest on the head of the domestic chicken and other domestic birds
b
: something (such as the ridge of a roof) resembling the comb of a cock
3
combed adjective
comblike adjective

comb

2 of 3

verb

combed; combing; combs

transitive verb

1
: to draw a comb through for the purpose of arranging or cleaning
2
: to pass across with a scraping or raking action
3
a
: to eliminate (as with a comb) by a thorough going-over
b
: to search or examine systematically
police are combing the city
4
: to use in a combing action

intransitive verb

1
of a wave or its crest : to roll over or break into foam
2
: to make a thorough search
comb through the classified ads

comb

3 of 3

abbreviation

Examples of comb in a Sentence

Verb He combed back his hair. The wool is combed before being spun into yarn. We combed the beach for shells.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Essentially, two rotating cylinders with a total of 36 teeth turn against two combs to play a melody of 120 notes that resonate far outside the case. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024 Use the scalloped side of the comb to gently massage the scalp in light, circular motions. Deanna Pai, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2024 In addition, the device yielded a flat comb, meaning the comb lines farther away in frequency from the center did not fade in intensity. IEEE Spectrum, 12 Mar. 2024 Unlike true jellyfish, comb jellies glide through the water, propelled by rows of fused, hair-like cilia called combs. Anna Nordseth, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 Other notable items, in addition to the piano, included a silver Tiffany mustache comb that sold for £152,000, or $192,500. Emma Reynolds, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 More than 16,700 customers have left the comb a five-star rating. Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2024 Other Freebies: Shoe shine lotion and upon request, toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, shaving cream and sewing kit are available. Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Later Marley, despite the disapproval of his devoutly Christian mother, began to let his hair grow into serpentine dreadlocks in obedience to the Bible, which forbids males from touching scissors or comb to hair. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 19 Feb. 2024
Verb
Presumably, photo agencies and content creators have been combing through the entire royal family's old photos as a direct response to the Kate Middleton conspiracy theories, though this is confusing for many reasons. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 22 Mar. 2024 Take a moment to comb through leaves and see if there’s any damage, discoloration, yellow browning leaves or wilting. Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 20 Mar. 2024 Then, journalists combed through the agency’s online railroad injury database to see whether the incidents had been reported and, if not, asked the agency to double check its files. Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 13 Mar. 2024 Millions of dollars have been spent combing the depths for her Electra, to no avail. Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the coup, the Comisión Provincial por la Memoria—an organization that investigates and memorializes human rights violations in Argentina—combed secret police files for information about the refugees saved by the Argentine embassy in Chile after the coup. Krista Stevens, Longreads, 8 Mar. 2024 Psych episodes, ranked EW combed through the 120 episodes of this popular buddy/crime-solving series to bring you the top 10 episodes to watch again and again. EW.com, 26 Feb. 2024 Rescue services combed through the rubble looking for survivors. Susie Blann The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 25 Feb. 2024 The online resource utilizes AI to comb through student responses and flag any alarming text, such as suicidal ideation or self-harm tendencies, to teachers and school counselors. Hannah Poukish, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'comb.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English camb; akin to Old High German kamb comb, Greek gomphos tooth

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of comb was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near comb

Cite this Entry

“Comb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comb. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

comb

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a toothed implement used to smooth and arrange the hair or worn in the hair to hold it in place
b
: a toothed instrument used for separating fibers (as of wool or flax)
2
: a fleshy crest on the head of the domestic chicken and some related birds
3
combed adjective

comb

2 of 2 verb
1
: to smooth, arrange, or untangle with a comb
comb one's hair
comb wool
2
: to go over or through carefully in search of something or someone
we combed the beach for shells

More from Merriam-Webster on comb

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