Comb
/koʊm/noun
A toothed tool used for arranging or cleaning hair, or a similar toothed implement.
Did you know?English comb comes from Old English camb, and its deeper Germanic root is also behind the word for a honeycomb, because both were named for their row of repeating tooth-like cells.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gembh-
“Tooth, spike, or prong”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kambaz
“Comb; toothed tool”
Old English
English
camb
“Comb; ridge; crest”
Middle English
English
comb
“Comb; a toothed instrument for the hair”
Modern English
English
comb
“A toothed tool for arranging or cleaning hair”