# comb

/ˈkoʊm/ (US) · /kˈəʊm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/comb
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. hair tool

noun · CEFR A2

a flat piece of plastic or metal with a row of thin teeth, used to make your hair tidy.

For teachers: a toothed implement used for grooming, smoothing, or arranging hair.

- He took a small comb out of his pocket to fix his hair before the photo.
- The stylist used a fine-toothed comb to ensure the parting was perfectly straight before applying the hairspray.

### 2. bird's crest

noun · CEFR B2

the red, fleshy part on top of the head of a chicken or similar bird.

For teachers: the fleshy, serrated crest on the head of domestic fowl, particularly prominent in roosters.

- The rooster had a bright red comb that stood up tall on its head.
- Veterinary inspection of the flock revealed that several birds had pale combs, a common clinical sign of underlying respiratory distress.

### 3. honeycomb

noun · CEFR B2

the structure of wax cells made by bees to store their honey.

For teachers: a structure of hexagonal wax cells produced by honeybees for the storage of larvae, honey, and pollen.

- The beekeeper carefully removed a comb dripping with fresh honey from the hive.
- The intricate geometry of the wax comb allows bees to store the maximum amount of honey using the minimum amount of structural material.

### 4. to tidy hair

verb · CEFR A2

to pull a comb through your hair to make it neat.

For teachers: to arrange or untangle hair using a toothed implement. Transitive, requiring a direct object.

- She spent ten minutes trying to comb the knots out of her daughter's long hair.
- He stood before the mirror, carefully combing his hair to conceal the thinning patches at his temples.

### 5. to search thoroughly

verb · CEFR B2

to search a place or a group of things very carefully to find something.

For teachers: to search a place or a collection of data exhaustively and systematically.

- The police had to comb the entire forest to find the missing keys.
- Investigators had to comb through thousands of digital records to identify the source of the security breach.

## Examples

- She uses a wide-toothed comb for her long hair.
- He carefully combed his beard before leaving for the interview.
- The stylist selected a fine-toothed comb to remove every tangle from the client's intricate braids.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.