COMB OUT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does comb out mean? 

• COMB OUT (verb)
  The verb COMB OUT has 2 senses:

1. remove unwanted elements

2. smoothen and neaten with or as with a comb

  Familiarity information: COMB OUT used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COMB OUT (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Remove unwanted elements

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

comb out; weed out

Context example:

The new law weeds out the old inequities

Hypernyms (to "comb out" is one way to...):

get rid of; remove (dispose of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

comb-out (the act of carefully weeding out unwanted things or people)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Smoothen and neaten with or as with a comb

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

comb; comb out; disentangle

Context example:

comb the wool

Hypernyms (to "comb out" is one way to...):

groom; neaten (care for one's external appearance)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "comb out"):

sleek down; slick; slick down (give a smooth and glossy appearance)

fluff; tease (ruffle (one's hair) by combing the ends towards the scalp, for a full effect)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They comb out their hair

Derivation:

comb-out (the act of removing tangles from you hair with a comb)

 Context examples 

Just to comb out this shaggy black mane.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)