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

Example Sentences

This coordination allows comb jellies to maintain their orientation as they move through the water.

From Science Daily • Mar. 6, 2026

While there are similarities between transactions designed to avoid different reporting requirements, investigators will look at them with a fine-tooth comb.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026

He said the DOJ is expecting victims to comb through the millions of files, locate each instance of their exposed personal information, and submit redaction requests with links to the files.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

Marine life that most people never see floated into view, including delicate comb jellies with pulsing fairy-light illuminations along their sides.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

Only so much could be done about her hair without shea butter and a good comb, but she at least tried to redo some of the unravelling twists.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Related Words

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