comb
(kōm)
[Middle English, from Old English.]
noun
- A thin toothed strip, as of plastic, used to smooth, arrange, or fasten the hair.
- An implement, such as a card for dressing and cleansing wool or other fiber, that resembles a hair comb in shape or use.
- A currycomb.
- 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.
- Something suggesting a fowl's comb in appearance or position.
- A honeycomb.
verb: combed, comb·ing, combs.
transitive verb
- To move a comb through (the hair) so as to arrange or groom: combed her hair with a comb; combed his hair with his fingers.
- To move though or pass across with a raking action: The wind combed the wheatfields.
- To card (wool or other fiber).
- To search thoroughly; look through: combed the dresser drawers for a lost bracelet.
- To eliminate with or as with a comb: combed the snarls out of his hair.
intransitive verb
- To roll and break. Used of waves.
- To make a thorough search: combed through the file for the contract.
