What is the Meaning and Definition of COMB?
What is the Meaning and Definition of COMB?
The word COMB is very versatile in English. It can be a noun and verb and it can be used in a literal and figurative sense.
This video provides 5 illustrated sentence examples to make the main points easy to remember. By the end you will have added the expression “fine-tooth comb” to your everyday English conversation skills, and have a thorough understanding of the meaning and definition of comb.
Here is a transcript of the video: “What is the Meaning and Definition of COMB?”
Slide 1: The Origin and Meaning of COMB
Slide 2: (Note ‘b’ is normally silent when it follows an ‘m’) The English word comb has an ancient history, going to back to an Indo-European word (gombhos) meaning “tooth”.
Hence a definition of comb (noun) is: a flat piece of plastic or metal with teeth, used for arranging or disentangling the hair or to comb (verb): the action of using a comb.
Additionally, it can refer to thoroughly searching for something.
Keeping the origin of the word in mind (tooth), the expression “fine tooth comb” can refer to:
• a comb in which the teeth are set close together
• a method of scrutinizing or closely examining something in minute detail
Slide 3: He always walked around with a comb sticking out the back pocket of his jeans.
Slide 4: You can understand why this plant is called “Forked Comb Fern”.
Slide 5: This woodblock print by famous Japanese artist Hashiguchi Goyo depicts a young woman in a cotton kimono combing her lustrous black hair.
Slide 6:
What has this beachcomber* found?
*Definition of Beachcomber: a person who searches the seashore for sea shells or items of
value
Slide 7:
The phrase ‘to search with a fine-tooth comb’ or ‘go over with a fine-tooth comb’ means to
search very thoroughly, to examine in close detail.
Slide 8:
After 9/11, New York City firefighters and police officers searched through the debris at
Ground Zero with a fine-tooth comb in search of personal items.
Slide 9:
Summary
• The origin of the word comb is ‘tooth’
• A comb is a flat piece of plastic or metal for arranging the hair
• To comb through something means to search thoroughly
• A beachcomber is someone who searches the beach or shore for sea shells or items
of value
• To search with a fine-tooth comb means to closely examine something in minute
detail
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Image Credits:
Slides 1, 5 – Japanese art
Public Domain
https://flic.kr/p/z68QQR
Slide 3 – jeans and comb
Free Use
Credit: goldsaint / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Slide 4 – Fern
Creative Commons
https://flickr.com/photos/seanfx/5092081427
https://flickr.com/photos/31031835@N08/7486682520
Slide 6 – beachcomber
Creative Commons
https://flic.kr/p/2RL85H
Slide 8 – 9/11
Creative Commons
https://flic.kr/p/akHFxi
Regarding the use of illustrations and photographs used in this video:
Public Domain
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Public domain status allows the user unrestricted access and unlimited creativity. These are
typically very old works.
Fair Use
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reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research—as examples of activities that may qualify as
fair use.
https://copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html
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https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
If you are interested in the origin and definition of comb. here is another word with an interesting story behind it:
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