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: 1579, 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 1390. The verb kemb is rare after 1400s, but its negative pp. form endures.
cam: 1777, from Du. cam "cog of a wheel," originally "comb;" cognate of Eng. comb (q.v.).
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."
pseudo-: comb. form meaning "false, feigned, erroneous," from Gk. pseudo-, comb. form of pseudes "false," or pseudos "falsehood," both from pseudein "to deceive." The prefix has been used as a stand-alone word for "false person, pretender" since c.1380.
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].
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).
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.
scape (n.): "scenery view," 1773, abstracted from landscape (q.v.); as a new comb. element, first attested use is 1796, in prisonscape.
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).
exo-: comb. form of Gk. exo "outside," used in forming scientific words, e.g. exoskeleton, introduced by Eng. anatomist Sir Richard Owen (1804-92).
christology: 1670s, from Latinized comb. form of Gk. Khristos + -logia "discourse."
-trope: comb. form meaning "that which turns," from Gk. tropos (see trope).
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."
arachnophobia: 1925, from comb. form of arachnid + phobia.
-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.
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.
-philia: comb. form meaning "friendship, fondness," from Gk. philia "affection," from philos "loving."
autism: Ger. Autismus, coined 1912 by Swiss psychiatrist Paul Bleuler (1857-1939) from Gk. autos- "self" (comb. form) + -ismos suffix of action or of state.
cruciverbalist: "maker of crossword puzzles," by 1990, coined in English from L. cruci-, comb. form of crux "cross" + verbum "word."
blastocyst: from Gk. blasto-, comb. form of blastos "sprout, germ" + cyst.
grebe: 1766, from Fr. grèbe, possibly from Breton krib "a comb," since some species are crested.
teratology: "study of marvels and monsters," 1678, from comb. form of Gk. teras (gen. teratos) "marvel, monster" + -logy.
-trophy: comb. form meaning "food, nourishment," from Gk. trophe "food, nourishment," related to trephein "to make solid, congeal, thicken."
plagio-: comb. form, from Gk. plagios "oblique, slanting," from plagos "side," from PIE base *p(e)lag- "flat, spread."
cumulonimbus: 1887, from cumulo-, comb. form of cumulus, + nimbus.
corticosteroid: by 1945, from cortico-, comb. form of L. cortex "bark of a tree," applied since c.1890 to various surface structures of plants, animals, or organs + steroid. So called because they are produced in the adrenal cortex.
ecto-: comb. form of Gk. ektos "outside" (adv.), used to form scientific compounds in Gk. Also in ectoplasm, which in the spiritualistic sense is first recorded c.1901 (see plasma).
chrono-: comb. form meaning "time," from Gk. khrono-, from khronos "time."
dermatology: 1819, from comb. form of Gk. derma (gen. dermatos) "skin, hide, leather" + -logy.
thermo-: comb. form meaning "hot, heat," used in scientific and technical words, from Gk. thermos "hot," therme "heat" (see thermal).
Indochina: 1886, from Indo-, comb. form of Gk. Indos "India" + China. Name proposed early 19c. by Scot. poet and orientalist John Leyden, who lived and worked in India from 1803 till his death at 35 in 1811.
seborrhea: 1876, coined in Mod.L. as a hybrid, from sebo-, used as comb. form of L. sebum "tallow, suet, grease" (see sebaceous) + Gk. hroia "flow, flux."