combern.1
/ˈkəʊmə/, U.S. /ˈkoʊmər/ 1. One who or that which combs; spec. one whose business it is to comb wool.
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the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile manufacture > treating or processing textile materials > treating or processing wool > [noun] > combing > one who
kember1511
breaker1514
picker1536
wool-picker1536
wool carder1580
comber1658
scribbler1682
wool-comber1702
1658 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica (ed. 3) iii. xxvi. 144 Combers of wool.
1727 D. Defoe Compl. Eng. Tradesman II. ii. i. 54 The Combers are a particular set of People, and the combing a Trade by itself.
1794 ‘P. Pindar’ Wks. II. 179 What had Achilles been without his Homer? A taylor, woollen-draper, or a comber!
2. A machine for combing the fibres of cotton or wool, intended for the production of very fine yarns; a toothed instrument in a carding machine for drawing the cotton off the cards, a comb; hence comber-setter, a tool for setting (or a man who sets) the teeth of this instrument; also comber-board, a perforated board through which the harness threads pass in Jacquard weaving, in order to prevent their becoming entangled.
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the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile manufacture > treating or processing textile materials > [noun] > combing > machine
carding engine1776
carding machine1779
towing-mill1789
comber1831
breaker1875
breaking-enginea1877
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile manufacture > treating or processing textile materials > [noun] > combing > machine > card or comb
carder1800
comber1831
top1845
top-card1874
1831 G. R. Porter Treat. Silk Manuf. 254 A board in front of and somewhat lower than the breast roll of the loom—called a comber-board.
1887 Bolton Evening News 1 July 3/6 Wanted, a good Comber Setter..at the Edgworth Spinning Co.
3. A ‘combing’ wave, a long curling wave, a breaker: see comb v.1 5, and cf. beachcomber n. 2.
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the world > the earth > water > flow or flowing > wave > types of waves > [noun] > breaker
sea-breach1620
flash1627
breaker1684
whitecap1773
outbreaker1801
comber1840
pounder1927
shore break1962
1840 R. H. Dana Two Years before Mast ix. 21 The heavy swell of the Pacific was..breaking in loud and high ‘combers’ upon the beach.
1862 M. Hopkins Hawaii 26 They curled over and broke like combers on the reef.
1887 J. M. Oxley in Scribner's Mag. 1 605/1 Upon the back of a huge comber she is carried far up the beach.
4. U.S. (See quot. 1874.)
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1874 E. H. Knight Pract. Dict. Mech. Comber, a ledge around the well or passenger portion of a sail-boat, to keep back spray and waves which ‘comb’ over the deck.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1891; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
combern.2
/ˈkɒmbə/ The name of two fishes found off the English coast:
a. Serranus cabrilla, a fish of the sea-perch family; also called gaper.
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the world > animals > fish > superorder Acanthopterygii (spiny fins) > order Perciformes (perches) > family Serranidae (sea-bass) > [noun] > member of genus Serranus
comber1769
serran1803
rock hind1836
gaper1889
1769 T. Pennant Brit. Zool. (new ed.) III. iv. 210 The comber is a small scaly fish.
1861 J. Couch Hist. Fishes Brit. Islands I. 195 The Comber usually keeps in rocky ground at a small distance from land.
b. Short for comber wrasse ( Labrus maculatus variant comber, L. comber of Ray), a variety of Wrasse found on the Cornish coast.
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the world > animals > fish > superorder Acanthopterygii (spiny fins) > order Perciformes (perches) > suborder Labrioidei (wrasse) > [noun] > family Labridae > genus Labrus > member of
breama1475
thrush-fish1601
ballana1705
yellowfish1734
comber1769
sea-swine1803
cuckoo-fish1884
hogfish1898
1769 T. Pennant Brit. Zool. (new ed.) III. iv. 210 Wrasse..Comber.
1859 J. Richardson Yarrell's Hist. Brit. Fishes (ed. 3) I. 489 Pennant says he received his fish from Cornwall, and supposed it to be the Comber of Mr. Jago.
1868 J. Couch Hist. Fishes Brit. Islands III. 32 The Comber Wrass is described as known to the fishermen of Mount's Bay.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1891; most recently modified version published online December 2018).
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