comb

Examples

• All

• His carrot-red hair stood up in a pompadour like a rooster's comb, and a little belly swelled out over his belt.

  Fiction book (1998)

• The farmer knew that a healthy comb was a sign of a well-nourished bird.

• And you see that green comb?

  Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (2013)

• From my angle, I could count the pink tracks his comb had left.

  Fiction book (2002)

• Today, Mrs. Estes had on an orange cap that bristled up like a rooster's comb.

  Fiction book (1999)

• Because rooster combs are plentiful and are normally wasted, they are an ideal source of hyaluronan.

  Academic text (2002)

• During the inspection, the judge admired the chicken's impressive comb.

Synonyms

C

crest

vscomb

5 4.3

A group of feathers, fur, or skin on an animal's head used for display

is narrower, naming a fleshy red part on certain domestic birds

C

coxcomb

vscomb

1 9.9

A red fleshy crest on the top of a rooster's head

is used for the same part on domestic fowl generally

C

cockscomb

vscomb

8.9

A fleshy red crest on a rooster's head

is identical in meaning but uses the more general common name

Idioms

W

with a fine-tooth comb

6 4.2

Look through something very carefully to find small mistakes

Compounds

F

fine-tooth comb

• Informal

7 4.3

A careful search that finds small mistakes or details

F

fine-toothed comb

• Informal

2 4.1

A very careful check of something to find small errors

C

comb jelly

• Specialized

8.8

A small transparent sea animal like a jellyfish that moves by beating eight rows of tiny hairs

C

comb-footed spider

• Specialized

9.8

A spider with a row of short stiff hairs on each hind foot that often spins irregular webs

C

comb-like

5.0

Thin, evenly spaced parts that stick out in a row like small teeth

C

comb-out

3.9

To remove tangles from hair using a comb

C

comb-out

7.0

Removing unwanted people or things from a group

C

comb-plate

• Specialized

9.9

A row of tiny hairs joined together that some sea animals use to move

D

dematting comb

6.8

A comb with sharp teeth that removes mats and tangles from an animal's coat

F

fine-tooth comb

3.7

A comb with very close teeth used to remove lice from hair

F

fine-toothed comb

3.7

A small tool with very close teeth used to remove lice or untangle hair

P

pocket comb

2.1

A small tool with teeth used to tidy hair that fits in a pocket

W

Welsh comb

8.6

A hair comb with wide teeth from Wales used to untangle curly hair

Surface Forms

Etymology