comb Look up comb at Dictionary.com
O.E. camb "comb," lit. "toothed object," from W.Gmc. *kambaz, from PIE *gombhos, from base *gembh- "to bite, tooth" (cf. Gk. gomphos "a molar tooth," Skt. gambha-s "tooth"). As a verb, replaced O.E. cemban, which survives in unkempt.
oakum Look up oakum at Dictionary.com
"loose fiber obtained from taking apart old hemp ropes," 1420s, from O.E. acumba "tow, oakum, flax fibers separated by combing," lit. "what is combed out," from a- "away, out, off" + stem of cemban "to comb," from camb "a comb;" from P.Gmc. *us-kambon, second element from PIE *gembh- "tooth, nail" (see comb).
peignoir Look up peignoir at Dictionary.com
1835, "lady's loose robe," from Fr. peignoir, from M.Fr. peignouoir "garment worn over the shoulders while combing the hair" (16c.), from peigner "to comb," from L. pectinare, from pecten (gen. pectinis) "a comb," related to pectere "to comb." A gown put on while coming from the bath; misapplied in Eng. to a woman's morning gown.
unkempt Look up unkempt at Dictionary.com
1570s, from un- (1) "not" + kempt "well-combed, neat," from variant pp. of O.E. cemban "to comb," from P.Gmc. *kambijan, from *kamb- "comb" (see comb). Form unkembed iss recorded from late 14c. The verb kemb is rare after 1400s, but its negative pp. form endures.
cockscomb Look up cockscomb at Dictionary.com
c.1400, "comb or crest of a cock," from possessive of cock + comb. Meaning "cap worn by a professional fool" is from 1560s; hence "conceited fool" (1560s), a sense passing into the derivative coxcomb.
chronology Look up chronology at Dictionary.com
1590s, from Gk. khrono- comb. form of khronos "time" + -logy comb. form of logos "word, speech, discourse."
cam Look up cam at Dictionary.com
1777, from Du. cam "cog of a wheel," originally "comb;" cognate of English comb (q.v.). This might have combined with English camber "having a slight arch;" or the whole thing could be from camber.
card (v.) Look up card at Dictionary.com
"to comb wool," 1393, from O.Prov. carda, from cardar "to card," from V.L. *caritare, from L. carrere "to clean or comb with a card," from PIE base *kars- "to scrape."
heckle Look up heckle at Dictionary.com
"to question severely in a bid to find weaknesses," 1788, transferred usage of hekelen "to comb (flax or hemp) with a heckle," from M.E. hekele "a comb for flax or hemp" (early 14c.), from M.Du. hekelen, the original sense of which was "to prickle, irritate," from P.Gmc. *khakilo- (related to hackle). "Long applied in Scotland to the public questioning of parliamentary candidates" [OED].
oxy- Look up oxy- at Dictionary.com
from Gk. oxy-, comb. form of oxys "sharp, pungent" (see acrid). Also used as a comb. form of oxygen.
pseudo- Look up pseudo- at Dictionary.com
comb. form meaning "false, feigned, erroneous," from Gk. pseudo-, comb. form of pseudes "false," or pseudos "falsehood," both from pseudein "to deceive."
uni- Look up uni- at Dictionary.com
comb. form meaning "having one only," from L. uni-, comb. form of unus (see one).
hackle Look up hackle at Dictionary.com
O.E. hacele "cloak, mantle" (cf. O.H.G. hachul, Goth. hakuls "cloak;" O.N. hekla "hooded frock"). Sense of "bird plumage" is first recorded 1496, though this may be from unrelated M.E. hackle "flax comb" (see heckle) on supposed resemblance of comb to ruffled feathers. Metaphoric extension found in raise one's hackles (as a cock does when angry) is first recorded 1881.
photo- Look up photo- at Dictionary.com
comb. form meaning "light" or "photographic," from Gk. photo-, comb. form of phos (gen. photos) "light," from PIE base *bha- "to shine" (see phantasm).
phono- Look up phono- at Dictionary.com
comb. form meaning "sound, voice," from Gk. phono-, comb. form of phone "voice, sound" (see fame).
proto- Look up proto- at Dictionary.com
comb. form meaning "first," from Gk. proto-, comb. form of protos "first," superlative of pro "before."
thero- Look up thero- at Dictionary.com
comb. form meaning "beast," from Gk. comb. form of ther "wild beast," from PIE *ghwer- "wild beast" (cf. L. ferus "wild," ferox "fierce;" see fierce).
equi- Look up equi- at Dictionary.com
comb. form of L. aequus "equal, even."
milli- Look up milli- at Dictionary.com
comb. form of L. mille "thousand."
maxi- Look up maxi- at Dictionary.com
comb. form of from maximum.
karyo- Look up karyo- at Dictionary.com
comb. form of Gk. karyon "nut, kernel," used since c.1874 in biological terms refering to cell nuclei.
chemo- Look up chemo- at Dictionary.com
comb. form of chemical, used to form scientific compound words from c.1900.
ecto- Look up ecto- at Dictionary.com
comb. form of Gk. ektos "outside" (adv.), used to form scientific compounds in Greek.
scape (n.) Look up scape at Dictionary.com
"scenery view," 1773, abstracted from landscape (q.v.); as a new comb. element, first attested use is 1796, in prisonscape.
ferromagnetic Look up ferromagnetic at Dictionary.com
1840, from comb. form of L. ferrum “iron” + magnetic.
micro- Look up micro- at Dictionary.com
comb. form of Gk. mikros "small" (see mica).
brachy- Look up brachy- at Dictionary.com
comb. form of Gk. brakhys "short" (see brief (adj.)).
coxcomb Look up coxcomb at Dictionary.com
1560s, from cokkes comb (see cockscomb).
osteo- Look up osteo- at Dictionary.com
comb. form meaning "bone," from Gk. osteon "bone" (see osseous).
christology Look up christology at Dictionary.com
1670s, from Latinized comb. form of Gk. Khristos + -logia "discourse."
ethno- Look up ethno- at Dictionary.com
comb. form of Gk. ethnos "people, nation, class" (see ethnic), used to form modern compounds in the social sciences.
laryngitis Look up laryngitis at Dictionary.com
1822, Medical L., from comb. form of larynx (q.v.) + -itis.
-trope Look up -trope at Dictionary.com
comb. form meaning "that which turns," from Gk. tropos (see trope).
litho- Look up litho- at Dictionary.com
before vowels, lith-; comb. form of Gk. lithos "stone."
entero- Look up entero- at Dictionary.com
before vowels enter-; comb. form of Gk. enteron “intestine.”
centi- Look up centi- at Dictionary.com
comb. form meaning "one hundred," 1810, from the Fr. metric system, from L. centum "one hundred" (see hundred).
Afro Look up Afro at Dictionary.com
"full, bushy hairstyle as worn by some blacks," 1938, from Afro-, comb. form of African. As a general adj. for black styles of clothing, music, etc., it is attested from 1966.
chaetophobia Look up chaetophobia at Dictionary.com
"fear of hair," from Gk. khaite "long flowing hair." Chaeto- has been taken as a comb. form meaning "spine, bristle."
exo- Look up exo- at Dictionary.com
comb. form of Gk. exo "outside," used in forming scientific words, e.g. exoskeleton.
arachnophobia Look up arachnophobia at Dictionary.com
1925, from comb. form of arachnid + phobia.
magnetosphere Look up magnetosphere at Dictionary.com
1959, from comb. form of magnet + sphere.
musculoskeletal Look up musculoskeletal at Dictionary.com
1944, from comb. form of muscular + skeletal.
Eurocentric Look up Eurocentric at Dictionary.com
1963, from comb. form of Europe + -centric.
galvanometer Look up galvanometer at Dictionary.com
1802, from comb. form of galvanism + meter.
-plasty Look up -plasty at Dictionary.com
comb. form meaning "act or process of forming, plastic surgery," from Gk. -plastia, from plastos "molded, formed" (see plaster).
-plast Look up -plast at Dictionary.com
comb. form denoting "something made," from Gk. plastos "formed, molded," from plassein "to mold" (see plasma).
thiamin Look up thiamin at Dictionary.com
vitamin B1, 1937, coined by Dr. R.R. Williams from thio-, from comb. form of Gk. theion "sulfur" + amine.
blastocyst Look up blastocyst at Dictionary.com
from Gk. blasto-, comb. form of blastos "sprout, germ" (of unknown origin) + cyst.
petrochemical Look up petrochemical at Dictionary.com
1913, formed in Eng. from Gk. petro-, comb. form of petra "rock" + chemical (q.v.).
arteriosclerosis Look up arteriosclerosis at Dictionary.com
"hardening of the arteries," 1886, Mod.L., from arterio-, comb. form of arterial, + sclerosis.