toothcomb
English
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toothcomb¹
- /ˈtuːθkəʊm/ UK
- /ˈtuθˌkoʊm/ US
Where it comes from
The noun is derived from fine toothcomb, a rebracketing of fine-tooth comb. The verb is derived from the noun.
noun toothcombs · tooth comb · tooth-comb
- A comb with finely spaced teeth, chiefly as a metaphorical means of making a thorough search. The police went through all his possessions with a toothcomb.
verb toothcombs · toothcombing · toothcombed · tooth-comb
- To use a toothcomb on (something). 8.15 am. Tooth-combed seven heads, had grand sport; mixed bag, measured one teaspoonful; cleanliness is next to godliness!
- To search (something) thoroughly. The flat was toothcombed for any trace of drugs.
toothcomb²
- /ˈtuːθkəʊm/ UK
- /ˈtuθˌkoʊm/ US
Where it comes from
From tooth + comb.
noun toothcombs · tooth comb · tooth-comb
- A comb-like dental structure found in the lower jaws of certain primates consisting of long, flat front teeth with microscopic grooves, which are used for grooming fur. There is no reason to doubt that the tooth comb is homologous in all the lemuriforms. The term tooth comb has recently been replaced by Martin (1972) with the concept of "tooth scraper," and he has stated that, although most living species of strepsirhines use their tooth combs for grooming, this is
Translations
Every language
noun comb with finely spaced teeth, chiefly as a metaphorical means of making a thorough search
| Português | pente dental, pente fino |
|---|
verb to search thoroughly
| Português | passar o pente fino |
|---|
Talk about this word "toothcomb." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/toothcomb. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. toothcomb. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/toothcomb "toothcomb." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/toothcomb.Cite this
@misc{toothcomb_2026,
title = {toothcomb},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/toothcomb},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
