NYT Dictionary

COMB

/koʊm/
NounVerbCOMBcomb · 1 syllableGrade 4

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026

Meaning

A toothed implement:

Etymology

Origin: Old English

From Middle English comb, from Old English camb (“comb”), from Proto-West Germanic *kamb, from Proto-Germanic *kambaz (“comb”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵómbʰos (“tooth”), a doublet of cam. The verb is derived from the noun and displaced the older verb kemb. Cognates Compare Saterland Frisian Koum, Swedish/Dutch kam, Danish kam, Norwegian kam, German Kamm; also Tocharian B keme, Lithuanian žam̃bas (“sharp edge”), Old Church Slavonic зѫбъ (zǫbŭ), Albanian dhëmb, Ancient Greek γομφίος (gomphíos, “backtooth, molar”), Sanskrit जम्भ (jambha)).

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

cockscombcrestcombocoxcombcombingbeatbillowborebreakbreaker

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 7 recorded puzzles:

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