| 释义 |
▪ I. comber1|ˈkəʊmə(r)|
[f. comb v.1 + -er.]
1. One who or that which combs; spec. one whose business it is to comb wool.
1646–82Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. iii. xxvi. (1686) 138 Combers of wooll. 1745De Foe's Eng. Tradesman xlvii. (1841) II. 189 The combers are a particular set of people, and the combing a trade by itself. 1790Wolcott Rowl. for Oliver 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.
1831Porter Silk Manuf. 254 A board in front of and somewhat lower than the breast roll of the loom—called a comber-board. 1887Bolton 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. beach-comber.
1840R. Dana Bef. Mast ix. 21 The heavy swell of the Pacific was..breaking in loud and high ‘combers’ upon the beach. 1862M. Hopkins Hawaii 26 They curled over and broke like combers on the reef. 1887J. M. Oxley in Scribn. Mag I. 605/1 Upon the back of a huge comber she is carried far up the beach.
4. U.S. (See quot.)
1874Knight 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.
▪ II. comber2|ˈkɒmbə(r)|
The name of two fishes found off the English coast: a. Serranus cabrilla, a fish of the sea-perch family; also called gaper.
1769Pennant Zool. III. 210 The comber is a small scaly fish. 1861Couch Brit. Fishes I. 195 The Comber usually keeps in rocky ground at a small distance from land.
b. Short for comber wrasse (Labrus maculatus var. comber, L. comber of Ray), a variety of Wrasse found on the Cornish coast.
1769Pennant Zool. I. 342 Comber Wrasse. 1859Yarrell Brit. Fishes I. 489 Pennant says he received his fish from Cornwall, and supposed it to be the Comber of Mr. Jago. 1868Couch Brit. Fishes III. 32 The Comber Wrass is described as known to the fishermen of Mount's Bay.
▪ III. comber, -ous
obs. ff. cumber, cumbrous. |