*comb*

. [ Written also beach-comber or beach comber. ] (Naut.) 1. A vagrant seaman, usually of low character, who loiters about seaports, particularly on the shores and islands of the Pacific Ocean. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

I was fortunate enough, however, to forgather with a Scotchman who was a beach-comber. F. T. Bullen. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. a vagrant living on a beach. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. a person who searches along a beach for objects of value, such as lost objects or seashells. [ PJC ]

A long, curling wave rolling in from the ocean. See Comber. [ Amer., archaic ] [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. (Zool.) A scaraboid beetle; esp. the Typhæus vulgaris of Europe. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Buncombe a county of North Carolina. ] Speech-making for the gratification of constituents, or to gain public applause; flattering talk for a selfish purpose; anything said for mere show. [ Cant or Slang, U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

All that flourish about right of search was bunkum -- all that brag about hanging your Canada sheriff was bunkum . . . slavery speeches are all bunkum. Haliburton. [ 1913 Webster ]

To speak for Buncombe, to speak for mere show, or popularly. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ “The phrase originated near the close of the debate on the famous ‘Missouri Question, ' in the 16th Congress. It was then used by Felix Walker -- a naïve old mountaineer, who resided at Waynesville, in Haywood, the most western country of North Carolina, near the border of the adjacent county of Buncombe, which formed part of his district. The old man rose to speak, while the house was impatiently calling for the ‘Question, ' and several members gathered round him, begging him to desist. He persevered, however, for a while, declaring that the people of his district expected it, and that he was bound to ‘make a speech for Buncombe.'” W. Darlington. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ It. catacomba, fr. L. catacumba perh. from Gr. kata` downward, down + ky`mbh cavity. ] A cave, grotto, or subterraneous place of large extent used for the burial of the dead; -- commonly in the plural. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The terms is supposed to have been applied originally to the tombs under the church of St. Sebastian in Rome. The most celebrated catacombs are those near Rome, on the Appian Way, supposed to have been the place or refuge and interment of the early Christians; those of Egypt, extending for a wide distance in the vicinity of Cairo; and those of Paris, in abandoned stone quarries, excavated under a large portion of the city. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ 1st cock, n. + comb crest. ] 1. See Coxcomb. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) A plant (Celosia cristata), of many varieties, cultivated for its broad, fantastic spikes of brilliant flowers; -- sometimes called garden cockscomb. Also the Pedicularis, or lousewort, the Rhinanthus Crista-galli, and the Onobrychis Crista-galli. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. camb; akin to Sw., Dan., & D. kam, Icel. kambr, G. kamm, Gr. &unr_; a grinder tooth, Skr. jambha tooth. ] 1. An instrument with teeth, for straightening, cleansing, and adjusting the hair, or for keeping it in place. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An instrument for currying hairy animals, or cleansing and smoothing their coats; a currycomb. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Manuf. & Mech.) (a) A toothed instrument used for separating and cleansing wool, flax, hair, etc. (b) The serrated vibratory doffing knife of a carding machine. (c) A former, commonly cone-shaped, used in hat manufacturing for hardening the soft fiber into a bat. (d) A tool with teeth, used for chasing screws on work in a lathe; a chaser. (e) The notched scale of a wire micrometer. (f) The collector of an electrical machine, usually resembling a comb. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Zool.) (a) The naked fleshy crest or caruncle on the upper part of the bill or hood of a cock or other bird. It is usually red. (b) One of a pair of peculiar organs on the base of the abdomen of scorpions. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. The curling crest of a wave. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. The waxen framework forming the walls of the cells in which bees store their honey, eggs, etc.; honeycomb. “A comb of honey.” Wyclif. [ 1913 Webster ]

When the bee doth leave her comb. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. The thumbpiece of the hammer of a gunlock, by which it may be cocked. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Combed p. pr. & vb. n. Combing. ] To disentangle, cleanse, or adjust, with a comb; to lay smooth and straight with, or as with, a comb; as, to comb hair or wool. See under Combing. [ 1913 Webster ]

Comb down his hair; look, look! it stands upright. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ See Comb, n., 5. ] (Naut.) To roll over, as the top or crest of a wave; to break with a white foam, as waves. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A dry measure. See Coomb. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Combated; p. pr. & vb. n. Combating. ] [ F. combattre; pref. com- + battre to beat, fr. L. battuere to strike. See Batter. ] To struggle or contend, as with an opposing force; to fight. [ 1913 Webster ]

To combat with a blind man I disdain. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

After the fall of the republic, the Romans combated only for the choice of masters. Gibbon. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To fight with; to oppose by force, argument, etc.; to contend against; to resist. [ 1913 Webster ]

When he the ambitious Norway combated. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

And combated in silence all these reasons. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Minds combat minds, repelling and repelled. Goldsmith.

Syn. -- To fight against; resist; oppose; withstand; oppugn; antagonize; repel; resent. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. combat. ] 1. A fight; a contest of violence; a struggle for supremacy. [ 1913 Webster ]

My courage try by combat, if thou dar'st. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The noble combat that 'twixt joy and sorrow was fought in Paulina. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mil.) An engagement of no great magnitude; or one in which the parties engaged are not armies. [ 1913 Webster ]

Single combat, one in which a single combatant meets a single opponent, as in the case of David and Goliath; also, a duel.

Syn. -- A battle; engagement; conflict; contest; contention; struggle; fight, strife. See Battle, Contest. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. combattable. ] Such as can be, or is liable to be, combated; as, combatable foes, evils, or arguments. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. combattant, p. pr. ] Contending; disposed to contend. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. combattant. ] One who engages in combat. IN military use, opposed to noncombatant. “The mighty combatants.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

A controversy which long survived the original combatants. Macaulay [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who combats. Sherwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Disposed to engage in combat; pugnacious. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The quality of being combative; propensity to contend or to quarrel. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Phren.) A cranial development supposed to indicate a combative disposition. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖a. [ F. ] (Her.) In the position of fighting; -- said of two lions set face to face, each rampant. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A tooth of a wool comb. [ Written also combrouch. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Comb. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ AS. comb, prob. of Celtic origin; cf. W. cwm a dale, valley. ] That unwatered portion of a valley which forms its continuation beyond and above the most elevated spring that issues into it. [ Written also coombe. ] Buckland. [ 1913 Webster ]

A gradual rise the shelving combe
Displayed. Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The cabrilla. Also, a name applied to a species of wrasse. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Encumbrance. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who combs; one whose occupation it is to comb wool, flax, etc. Also, a machine for combing wool, flax, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A long, curling wave. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To cumber. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. combinable. ] Capable of combining; consistent with. [ R. ] M. Arnold.

-- Com*bin"a*ble*ness, n. [1913 Webster]

a. [ LL. combinatus, p. p. ] United; joined; betrothed. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. combinatio. See Combine. ] 1. The act or process of combining or uniting persons and things. [ 1913 Webster ]

Making new compounds by new combinations. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

A solemn combination shall be made
Of our dear souls. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The result of combining or uniting; union of persons or things; esp. a union or alliance of persons or states to effect some purpose; -- usually in a bad sense. [ 1913 Webster ]

A combination of the most powerful men in Rome who had conspired my ruin. Melmoth. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Chem.) The act or process of uniting by chemical affinity, by which substances unite with each other in definite proportions by weight to form distinct compounds. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. pl. (Math.) The different arrangements of a number of objects, as letters, into groups. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In combinations no regard is paid to the order in which the objects are arranged in each group, while in variations and permutations this order is respected. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

Combination car, a railroad car containing two or more compartments used for different purposes. [ U. S. ] --
Combination lock, a lock in which the mechanism is controlled by means of a movable dial (sometimes by several dials or rings) inscribed with letters or other characters. The bolt of the lock can not be operated until after the dial has been so turned as to combine the characters in a certain order or succession. --
Combination room, in the University of Cambridge, Eng., a room into which the fellows withdraw after dinner, for wine, dessert, and conversation. --
Combination by volume (Chem.), the act, process, or ratio by which gaseous elements and compounds unite in definite proportions by volume to form distinct compounds. --
Combination by weight (Chem.), the act, process, or ratio, in which substances unite in proportions by weight, relatively fixed and exact, to form distinct compounds. See Law of definite proportions, under Definite.

Syn. -- Cabal; alliance; association; league; union; confederacy; coalition; conspiracy. See Cabal. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. of or relating to combinations.
Syn. -- combinable, combinatory, combining(prenominal). [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. produced by a combinatorial process. [ Narrower terms: combinable, combinational, combinatory, combining(prenominal) ] Also See: integrative. Antonym: noncombinative. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. able to combine; tending to combine. [ Narrower terms: integrative (vs. disintegrative) ]
Syn. -- combinatory, combinatorial. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. able to combine; tending to combine. same as combinative, 2. [ Narrower terms: integrative (vs. disintegrative) ]
Syn. -- combinative. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. of or relating to combinations. [ Narrower terms: combinative (vs. noncombinative) ] WordNet 1.5 ]

3. produced by a process of combining; as, a combinatorial explosion of possibilities; -- used especially in reference to mathematical or statistical processes of computing possible combinations.
PJC ]

adj. 1. same as combinatorial, 1.
Syn. -- combinative, combinatorial. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. able to be combined.
Syn. -- combinable, combinational, combining(prenominal). [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. same as combinatorial, 2. [ Narrower terms: combinative (vs. noncombinative) ]
Syn. -- combinatorial. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Combined p. pr. & vb. n. Combining. ] [ LL. combinare, combinatum; L. com- + binus, pl. bini, two and two, double: cf. F. combiner. See Binary. ] 1. To unite or join; to link closely together; to bring into harmonious union; to cause or unite so as to form a homogeneous substance, as by chemical union. [ 1913 Webster ]

So fitly them in pairs thou hast combined. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Friendship is the cement which really combines mankind. Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

And all combined, save what thou must combine
By holy marriage. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Earthly sounds, though sweet and well combined. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To bind; to hold by a moral tie. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

I am combined by a sacred vow. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To form a union; to agree; to coalesce; to confederate. [ 1913 Webster ]

You with your foes combine,
And seem your own destruction to design Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

So sweet did harp and voice combine. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To unite by affinity or natural attraction; as, two substances, which will not combine of themselves, may be made to combine by the intervention of a third. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Card Playing) In the game of casino, to play a card which will take two or more cards whose aggregate number of pips equals those of the card played. [ 1913 Webster ]

Combining weight (Chem.), that proportional weight, usually referred to hydrogen as a standard, and for each element fixed and exact, by which an element unites with another to form a distinct compound. The combining weights either are identical with, or are multiples or submultiples of, the atomic weight. See Atomic weight, under Atomic, a. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. United closely; confederated; chemically united. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In combination or cooperation; jointly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, combines. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act or process of using a comb or a number of combs; as, the combing of one's hair; the combing of wool. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The process of combing is used in straightening wool of long staple; short wool is carded. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. pl. (a) That which is caught or collected with a comb, as loose, tangled hair. (b) Hair arranged to be worn on the head. [ 1913 Webster ]

The baldness, thinness, and . . . deformity of their hair is supplied by borders and combings. Jer. Taylor.

(c) (Naut.) See Coamings. [ 1913 Webster ]

Combing machine (Textile Manuf.), a machine for combing wool, flax, cotton, etc., and separating the longer and more valuable fiber from the shorter. See also Carding machine, under Carding. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Without a comb or crest; as, a combless cock. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a small band of jazz musicians.
Syn. -- jazz band, jazz group. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. A Muslim rosary, consisting of ninety-nine beads. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. any of numerous shrubs or small trees of the genus Combretum having spikes of small flowers. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. (Bot.) Pectinate. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. supporting combustion.
Syn. -- combustive. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ L. combustus, p. p. of comburere to burn up; com- + burere (only in comp.), of uncertain origin; cf. bustum funeral pyre, prurire to itch, pruna a live coal, Gr. pyrso`s firebrand, Skr. plush to burn. ] 1. Burnt; consumed. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Astron.) So near the sun as to be obscured or eclipsed by his light, as the moon or planets when not more than eight degrees and a half from the sun. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Planets that are oft combust. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being combustible. [ 1913 Webster ]