fine-tooth comb
English · Thesaurus
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
fine-tooth comb
- /ˌfaɪntuːθ ˈkəʊm/ UK
- /ˌfaɪnˌtuθ ˈkoʊm/ US
Rhymes with -əʊm
Where it comes from
The noun is derived from fine (“particularly slender”) + tooth (“sharp projection”) + comb. The verb is derived from the noun.
noun fine-tooth combs · fine-toothed comb
-
A comb with fine, closely spaced teeth, especially one used for removing head lice and their nits (eggs) from the hair; a nit comb.
The practice of combing the heads of children too frequently with a fine tooth comb is a bad one, as the points of the teeth are quite sure to scratch and irritate the scalp, and are almost sure to produce scurf or dandruff.
Similar: toothcomb
-
A means of making a thorough search.
The police went through his possessions with a fine-tooth comb.
Similar: toothcomb
verb fine-tooth combs · fine-tooth combing · fine-tooth combed
- To comb or go through (hair, an animal's fur, etc.) with a comb having fine, closely spaced teeth.
-
To search (something or somewhere) meticulously.
"There's one other way of discovering the writer,—find a Rem-Smith typewriter with an alignment imperfect in just this way."
"Yes," said Astro. "We might begin and fine-tooth-comb the city for it.:Template:.."
Similar: comb over, comb through, leave no stone unturned, pore over, scour, turn upside down
Translations
Every language
noun comb with fine, closely-spaced teeth
| 한국어 | 참빗 chambit |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 篦 bì |
| Français | peigne fin |
| Русский | густо́й гребешо́к gustój grebešók |
noun means of making a thorough search
| Deutsch | Lupe |
|---|
verb to comb or go through (hair, an animal’s fur, etc.) with a comb having fine, closely spaced teeth
| 中文 | 篦 bì |
|---|
verb to search (something or somewhere) meticulously
| Español | desmenuzar |
|---|---|
| Français | passer au crible, passer au peigne fin, ratisser |
| Deutsch | unter die Lupe nehmen |
| Ελληνικά | χτενίζω chtenízo |
| Русский | прочёсывать pročósyvatʹ, прочеса́ть pročesátʹ |
Talk about this word "fine-tooth comb." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/fine-tooth%20comb. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. fine-tooth comb. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/fine-tooth%20comb "fine-tooth comb." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/fine-tooth%20comb.Cite this
@misc{fine_tooth_comb_2026,
title = {fine-tooth comb},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/fine-tooth%20comb},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
