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. 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. 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 ]

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 ]

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 ]

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 ]