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comber

comber

9.9
A person who separates and straightens cotton or wool fibers before spinning
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : cardador
  • The experienced comber ensured the cotton fibers were properly aligned before spinning.

Examples

  • Many women worked as combers in the wool mills during the nineteenth century.

  • A skilled comber was highly valued in traditional textile manufacturing.

  • The comber worked diligently to prepare the fibers.

  • Many combers are skilled artisans in the textile industry.

  • The experienced comber ensured the cotton fibers were properly aligned before spinning.

  • Many women worked as combers in the wool mills during the nineteenth century.

  • A skilled comber was highly valued in traditional textile manufacturing.

Synonyms

teaser
vscomber
  • Specialized
1 7.7

A person or tool that separates wool fibers before spinning

focuses on aligning and straightening fibers instead of merely loosening them
carder
vscomber
  • Specialized
8.3

A person or machine that combs and cleans fibers like wool before spinning

focuses on precise separation and straightening for finer fiber alignment

Surface Forms

comber singular
combers plural

Morphology

comber = comb (transparent) = comb + er

This is a straightforward agent noun meaning 'a person who combs fibers'.

Etymology

Comber for a person comes from the verb comb, meaning 'to pull apart and tidy fibers'. So a comber is a worker who 'combs' cotton or wool to prepare it for spinning.