Online Etymology Dictionary

comb: 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: "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: 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: 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: 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: 1590s, from Gk. khrono- comb. form of khronos "time" + -logy comb. form of logos "word, speech, discourse."
cam: 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.): "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: "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-: from Gk. oxy-, comb. form of oxys "sharp, pungent" (see acrid). Also used as a comb. form of oxygen.
pseudo-: comb. form meaning "false, feigned, erroneous," from Gk. pseudo-, comb. form of pseudes "false," or pseudos "falsehood," both from pseudein "to deceive."
uni-: comb. form meaning "having one only," from L. uni-, comb. form of unus (see one).
hackle: 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-: 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-: comb. form meaning "sound, voice," from Gk. phono-, comb. form of phone "voice, sound" (see fame).
proto-: comb. form meaning "first," from Gk. proto-, comb. form of protos "first," superlative of pro "before."
thero-: 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-: comb. form of L. aequus "equal, even."
milli-: comb. form of L. mille "thousand."
maxi-: comb. form of from maximum.
karyo-: comb. form of Gk. karyon "nut, kernel," used since c.1874 in biological terms refering to cell nuclei.
chemo-: comb. form of chemical, used to form scientific compound words from c.1900.
ecto-: comb. form of Gk. ektos "outside" (adv.), used to form scientific compounds in Greek.
scape (n.): "scenery view," 1773, abstracted from landscape (q.v.); as a new comb. element, first attested use is 1796, in prisonscape.
ferromagnetic: 1840, from comb. form of L. ferrum “iron” + magnetic.
micro-: comb. form of Gk. mikros "small" (see mica).
brachy-: comb. form of Gk. brakhys "short" (see brief (adj.)).
coxcomb: 1560s, from cokkes comb (see cockscomb).
osteo-: comb. form meaning "bone," from Gk. osteon "bone" (see osseous).
christology: 1670s, from Latinized comb. form of Gk. Khristos + -logia "discourse."
ethno-: comb. form of Gk. ethnos "people, nation, class" (see ethnic), used to form modern compounds in the social sciences.
laryngitis: 1822, Medical L., from comb. form of larynx (q.v.) + -itis.
-trope: comb. form meaning "that which turns," from Gk. tropos (see trope).
litho-: before vowels, lith-; comb. form of Gk. lithos "stone."
entero-: before vowels enter-; comb. form of Gk. enteron “intestine.”
centi-: comb. form meaning "one hundred," 1810, from the Fr. metric system, from L. centum "one hundred" (see hundred).
Afro: "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: "fear of hair," from Gk. khaite "long flowing hair." Chaeto- has been taken as a comb. form meaning "spine, bristle."
exo-: comb. form of Gk. exo "outside," used in forming scientific words, e.g. exoskeleton.
arachnophobia: 1925, from comb. form of arachnid + phobia.
magnetosphere: 1959, from comb. form of magnet + sphere.
musculoskeletal: 1944, from comb. form of muscular + skeletal.
Eurocentric: 1963, from comb. form of Europe + -centric.
galvanometer: 1802, from comb. form of galvanism + meter.
-plasty: comb. form meaning "act or process of forming, plastic surgery," from Gk. -plastia, from plastos "molded, formed" (see plaster).
-plast: comb. form denoting "something made," from Gk. plastos "formed, molded," from plassein "to mold" (see plasma).
thiamin: vitamin B1, 1937, coined by Dr. R.R. Williams from thio-, from comb. form of Gk. theion "sulfur" + amine.
blastocyst: from Gk. blasto-, comb. form of blastos "sprout, germ" (of unknown origin) + cyst.
petrochemical: 1913, formed in Eng. from Gk. petro-, comb. form of petra "rock" + chemical (q.v.).
arteriosclerosis: "hardening of the arteries," 1886, Mod.L., from arterio-, comb. form of arterial, + sclerosis.