Combinedly Com·bin"ed·ly adverb In combination or coöperation; jointly .
Combiner Com·bin"er noun One who, or that which, combines.
Combing Comb"ing noun 1. The act or process of using a comb or a number of combs; as, the combing of one's hair; the combing of wool. » The process of
combing is used in straightening wool of long staple; short wool is
carded .
2. plural (a) That which is caught or collected with a comb, as loose, tangled hair. (b) Hair arranged to be worn on the head. The baldness, thinness, and . . . deformity of their hair is supplied by borders and combings .
Jer. Taylor.
(c) (Nautical) See Coamings . Combing machine (Textile Manuf.) ,
a machine for combing wool, flax, cotton, etc., and separating the longer and more valuable fiber from the shorter. See also Carding machine , under Carding .
Combless Comb"less adjective Without a comb or crest; as, a combless cock.
Comboloio Com`bo·lo"io (kŏm`bo*lō"yo)
noun A Mohammedan rosary, consisting of ninety-nine beads. Byron.
Combust Com·bust" adjective [ Latin
combustus , past participle of
comburere to burn up;
com- +
burere (only in comp.), of uncertain origin; confer
bustum funeral pyre,
prurire to itch,
pruna a live coal, Greek
pyrso`s firebrand, Sanskrit
plush to burn.]
1. Burnt; consumed. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer. 2. (Astron.) So near the sun as to be obscured or eclipsed by his light, as the moon or planets when not more than eight degrees and a half from the sun. [ Obsolete]
Planets that are oft combust .
Milton.
Combustibility Com·bus`ti·bil"i·ty noun The quality of being combustible.
Combustible Com·bus"ti·ble adjective [ Confer French
combustible .]
1. Capable of taking fire and burning; apt to catch fire; inflammable. Sin is to the soul like fire to combustible matter.
South.
2. Easily kindled or excited; quick; fiery; irascible. Arnold was a combustible character.
W. Irving.
Combustible Com·bus"ti·ble noun A substance that may be set on fire, or which is liable to take fire and burn. All such combustibles as are cheap enough for common use go under the name of fuel.
Ure.
Combustibleness Com·bus"ti·ble·ness noun Combustibility.
Combustion Com·bus"tion noun [ Latin
combustio : confer French
combustion .]
1. The state of burning. 2. (Chemistry) The combination of a combustible with a supporter of combustion, producing heat, and sometimes both light and heat. Combustion results in common cases from the mutual chemical action and reaction of the combustible and the oxygen of the atmosphere, whereby a new compound is formed.
Ure.
Supporter of combustion (Chemistry) ,
a gas, as oxygen, the combination of which with a combustible, as coal, constitutes combustion. 3. Violent agitation; confusion; tumult. [ Obsolete]
There [ were] great combustions and divisions among the heads of the university.
Mede.
But say from whence this new combustion springs.
Dryden.
Combustion chamber Com·bus"tion cham`ber (Mech.) (a) A space over, or in front of , a boiler furnace where the gases from the fire become more thoroughly mixed and burnt. (b) The clearance space in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine where the charge is compressed and ignited.
Combustious Com·bus"tious adjective Inflammable. [ Obsolete]
Shak.
Come Come intransitive verb [
imperfect Came ;
past participle Come ;
p. pr & verbal noun Coming .] [ Middle English
cumen ,
comen , Anglo-Saxon
cuman ; akin to Old Saxon
kuman , Dutch
komen , Old High German
queman , German
kommen , Icelandic
koma , Swedish
komma , Danish
komme , Goth.
giman , Latin
venire (
gvenire ), Greek ... to go, Sanskrit
gam . √23. Confer
Base ,
noun ,
Convene ,
Adventure .]
1. To move hitherward; to draw near; to approach the speaker, or some place or person indicated; -- opposed to go . Look, who comes yonder?
Shak.
I did not come to curse thee.
Tennyson.
2. To complete a movement toward a place; to arrive. When we came to Rome.
Acts xxviii. 16.
Lately come from Italy.
Acts xviii. 2.
3. To approach or arrive, as if by a journey or from a distance. "Thy kingdom
come ."
Matt. vi. 10. The hour is coming , and now is.
John. v. 25.
So quick bright things come to confusion.
Shak.
4. To approach or arrive, as the result of a cause, or of the act of another. From whence come wars?
James iv. 1.
Both riches and honor come of thee !
1 Chron. xxix. 12.
5. To arrive in sight; to be manifest; to appear. Then butter does refuse to come .
Hudibras.
6. To get to be, as the result of change or progress; -- with a predicate; as, to come untied. How come you thus estranged?
Shak.
How come her eyes so bright?
Shak.
»
Am come ,
is come , etc., are frequently used instead of
have come ,
has come , etc., esp. in poetry. The verb
to be gives a clearer adjectival significance to the participle as expressing a state or condition of the subject, while the auxiliary
have expresses simply the completion of the action signified by the verb.
Think not that I am come to destroy.
Matt. v. 17.
We are come off like Romans.
Shak.
The melancholy days are come , the saddest of the year.
Bryant.
Come may properly be used (instead of
go ) in speaking of a movement hence, or away, when there is reference to an approach to the person addressed; as, I shall
come home next week; he will
come to your house to-day. It is used with other verbs almost as an auxiliary, indicative of approach to the action or state expressed by the verb; as, how
came you to do it?
Come is used colloquially, with reference to a definite future time approaching, without an auxiliary; as, it will be two years,
come next Christmas;
i. e. , when Christmas shall come.
They were cried
In meeting, come next Sunday.
Lowell.
Come , in the imperative, is used to excite attention, or to invite to motion or joint action;
come , let us go. "This is the heir;
come , let us kill him."
Matt. xxi. 38. When repeated, it sometimes expresses haste, or impatience, and sometimes rebuke. "
Come ,
come , no time for lamentation now."
Milton. To come ,
yet to arrive, future. "In times
to come ."
Dryden. "There's pippins and cheese
to come ."
Shak. --
To come about .
(a) To come to pass; to arrive; to happen; to result; as, how did these things come about ? (b) To change; to come round; as, the ship comes about . "The wind is
come about ."
Shak. On better thoughts, and my urged reasons,
They are come about , and won to the true side.
B. Jonson.
--
To come abroad .
(a) To move or be away from one's home or country. "Am
come abroad to see the world."
Shak. (b) To become public or known. [ Obsolete] "Neither was anything kept secret, but that it should
come abroad ."
Mark. iv. 22. --
To come across ,
to meet; to find, esp. by chance or suddenly. "We
come across more than one incidental mention of those wars."
E. A. Freeman. "Wagner's was certainly one of the strongest and most independent natures I ever
came across ."
H. R. Haweis. --
To come after .
(a) To follow. (b) To come to take or to obtain; as, to come after a book. --
To come again ,
to return . "His spirit
came again and he revived."
Judges. xv. 19. - -
To come and go .
(a) To appear and disappear; to change; to alternate. "The color of the king doth
come and go ."
Shak. (b) (Mech.) To play backward and forward. --
To come at .
(a) To reach; to arrive within reach of; to gain; as, to come at a true knowledge of ourselves. (b) To come toward; to attack; as, he came at me with fury. --
To come away ,
to part or depart . --
To come between ,
to intervene; to separate; hence, to cause estrangement . --
To come by .
(a) To obtain, gain, acquire. "Examine how you
came by all your state."
Dryden. (b) To pass near or by way of. --
To come down .
(a) To descend. (b) To be humbled. --
To come down upon ,
to call to account, to reprimand. [ Colloq.]
Dickens. --
To come home .
(a) To return to one's house or family. (b) To come close; to press closely; to touch the feelings, interest, or reason. (c) (Nautical) To be loosened from the ground; -- said of an anchor. --
To come in .
(a) To enter, as a town, house, etc. "The thief
cometh in ."
Hos. vii. 1. (b) To arrive; as, when my ship comes in . (c) To assume official station or duties; as, when Lincoln came in . (d) To comply; to yield; to surrender. "We need not fear his
coming in "
Massinger. (e) To be brought into use. "Silken garments did not
come in till late."
Arbuthnot. (f) To be added or inserted; to be or become a part of. (g) To accrue as gain from any business or investment. (h) To mature and yield a harvest; as, the crops come in well. (i) To have sexual intercourse; -- with to or unto . Gen. xxxviii. 16. (j) To have young; to bring forth; as, the cow will come in next May. [ U. S.] --
To come in for ,
to claim or receive. "The rest
came in for subsidies."
Swift. --
To come into ,
to join with; to take part in; to agree to; to comply with; as, to come into a party or scheme . - -
To come it over ,
to hoodwink; to get the advantage of. [ Colloq.] --
To come near or nigh ,
to approach in place or quality; to be equal to. "Nothing ancient or modern seems to
come near it."
Sir W. Temple. --
To come of .
(a) To descend or spring from. "
Of Priam's royal race my mother
came ."
Dryden. (b) To result or follow from. "This
comes of judging by the eye."
L'Estrange. --
To come off .
(a) To depart or pass off from. (b) To get free; to get away; to escape. (c) To be carried through; to pass off; as, it came off well. (d) To acquit one's self; to issue from (a contest, etc.); as, he came off with honor; hence, substantively, a come-off , an escape; an excuse; an evasion. [ Colloq.]
(e) To pay over; to give. [ Obsolete]
(f) To take place; to happen; as, when does the race come off ? (g) To be or become after some delay; as, the weather came off very fine. (h) To slip off or be taken off, as a garment; to separate. (i) To hurry away; to get through. Chaucer. --
To come off by ,
to suffer . [ Obsolete] "
To come off by the worst."
Calamy. --
To come off from ,
to leave. "
To come off from these grave disquisitions."
Felton. --
To come on .
(a) To advance; to make progress; to thrive. (b) To move forward; to approach; to supervene. --
To come out .
(a) To pass out or depart, as from a country, room, company, etc. "They shall
come out with great substance."
Gen. xv. 14. (b) To become public; to appear; to be published. "It is indeed
come out at last."
Bp. Stillingfleet. (c) To end; to result; to turn out; as, how will this affair come out ? he has come out well at last. (d) To be introduced into society; as, she came out two seasons ago. (e) To appear; to show itself; as, the sun came out . (f) To take sides; to take a stand; as, he came out against the tariff. --
To come out with ,
to give publicity to; to disclose. --
To come over .
(a) To pass from one side or place to another. "Perpetually teasing their friends to
come over to them."
Addison. (b) To rise and pass over, in distillation. --
To come over to ,
to join. --
To come round .
(a) To recur in regular course. (b) To recover. [ Colloq.]
(c) To change, as the wind. (d) To relent. J. H. Newman. (e) To circumvent; to wheedle. [ Colloq.] --
To come short ,
to be deficient; to fail of attaining. "All have sinned and
come short of the glory of God."
Rom. iii. 23. --
To come to .
(a) To consent or yield. Swift. (b) (Nautical) (with the accent on
to )
To luff; to bring the ship's head nearer the wind; to anchor. (c) (with the accent on
to )
To recover, as from a swoon. (d) To arrive at; to reach. (e) To amount to; as, the taxes come to a large sum. (f) To fall to; to be received by, as an inheritance. Shak. --
To come to blows .
See under Blow . --
To come to grief .
See under Grief . --
To come to a head .
(a) To suppurate, as a boil. (b) To mature; to culminate; as a plot. --
To come to one's self ,
to recover one's senses. --
To come to pass ,
to happen; to fall out. --
To come to the scratch .
(a) (Prize Fighting) To step up to the scratch or mark made in the ring to be toed by the combatants in beginning a contest; hence:
(b) To meet an antagonist or a difficulty bravely. [ Colloq.] --
To come to time .
(a) (Prize Fighting) To come forward in order to resume the contest when the interval allowed for rest is over and "time" is called ; hence:
(b) To keep an appointment; to meet expectations. [ Colloq.] --
To come together .
(a) To meet for business, worship, etc.; to assemble. Acts i. 6. (b) To live together as man and wife. Matt. i. 18. --
To come true ,
to happen as predicted or expected. --
To come under ,
to belong to, as an individual to a class. --
To come up (a) to ascend; to rise. (b) To be brought up; to arise, as a question. (c) To spring; to shoot or rise above the earth, as a plant. (d) To come into use, as a fashion. --
To come up the capstan (Nautical) ,
to turn it the contrary way, so as to slacken the rope about it. --
To come up the tackle fall (Nautical) ,
to slacken the tackle gently. Totten. --
To come up to ,
to rise to; to equal. --
To come up with ,
to overtake or reach by pursuit. --
To come upon .
(a) To befall. (b) To attack or invade. (c) To have a claim upon; to become dependent upon for support; as, to come upon the town. (d) To light or chance upon; to find; as, to come upon hid treasure.
Come Come transitive verb To carry through; to succeed in; as, you can't come any tricks here. [ Slang]
To come it ,
to succeed in a trick of any sort. [ Slang]
Come Come noun Coming. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Come-along Come"-a·long` noun A gripping device, as for stretching wire, etc., consisting of two jaws so attached to a ring that they are closed by pulling on the ring.
Come-outer Come-out"er noun One who comes out or withdraws from a religious or other organization; a radical reformer. [ Colloq. U. S.]
Comedian Co·me"di·an noun [ Confer French
comédien .]
1. An actor or player in comedy. "The famous
comedian , Roscius."
Middleton. 2. A writer of comedy. Milton.
Comédienne Co·mé`di·enne" noun [ French, fem. of
comédien .]
A women who plays in comedy.
Comedietta Co·me`di·et"ta noun [ Italian ]
A dramatic sketch; a brief comedy.
Comedo Com"e·do noun ;
plural Comedones . [ Latin , a glutton. See
Comestible .]
(Medicine) A small nodule or cystic tumor, common on the nose, etc., which on pressure allows the escape of a yellow wormlike mass of retained oily secretion, with a black head (dirt).
Comedown Come"down` noun A downfall; an humiliation. [ Colloq.]
Comedy Com"e·dy noun ;
plural Comedies . [ French
comédie , Latin
comoedia , from Greek ...; ... a jovial festivity with music and dancing, a festal procession, an ode sung at this procession (perh. akin to ... village, English
home ) + ... to sing; for comedy was originally of a lyric character. See
Home , and
Ode .]
A dramatic composition, or representation of a bright and amusing character, based upon the foibles of individuals, the manners of society, or the ludicrous events or accidents of life; a play in which mirth predominates and the termination of the plot is happy; -- opposed to tragedy . With all the vivacity of comedy .
Macaulay.
Are come to play a pleasant comedy .
Shak.
Comelily Come"li·ly adverb In a suitable or becoming manner. [ R.]
Sherwood.
Comeliness Come"li·ness noun [ See
Comely .]
The quality or state of being comely. Comeliness is a disposing fair
Of things and actions in fit time and place.
Sir J. Davies.
Strength, comeliness of shape, or amplest merit.
Milton.
Comeliness signifies something less forcible than beauty, less elegant than grace, and less light than prettiness.
Johnson.
Comely Come"ly (kŭm"lȳ)
adjective [
Compar. Comelier ;
superl. Comeliest .] [ Middle English
comeliche , Anglo-Saxon
cymlīc ;
cyme suitable (fr.
cuman to come, become) +
līc like.]
1. Pleasing or agreeable to the sight; well- proportioned; good-looking; handsome. He that is comely when old and decrepit, surely was very beautiful when he was young.
South.
Not once perceive their foul disfigurement
But boast themselves more comely than before.
Milton.
2. Suitable or becoming; proper; agreeable. This is a happier and more comely time
Than when these fellows ran about the streets,
Crying confusion.
Shak.
It is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely .
Ps. cxlvii. 1.
Comely Come"ly adverb In a becoming manner. Ascham.
Comer Com"er noun One who comes, or who has come; one who has arrived, and is present. All comers ,
all who come, or offer, to take part in a matter, especially in a contest or controversy. "To prove it against
all comers ."
Bp. Stillingfleet.
Comes Co"mes noun [ Latin , a companion.]
(Mus.) The answer to the theme ( dux ) in a fugue.
Comessation Com`es·sa"tion noun [ Latin
comissatio ,
comessatio .]
A reveling; a rioting. [ Obsolete]
Bp. Hall.
Comestible Co·mes"ti·ble adjective [ French
comestible , from Latin
comesus ,
comestus , past participle of
comedere to eat;
com- +
edere to eat.]
Suitable to be eaten; eatable; esculent. Some herbs are most comestible .
Sir T. Elyot.
Comestible Co·mes"ti·ble noun Something suitable to be eaten; -- commonly in the plural. Thackeray.
Comet Com"et noun [ Latin
cometes ,
cometa , from Greek ... comet, prop. long-haired, from ... to wear long hair, from ... hair, akin to Latin
coma : confer French
comète .]
(Astron.) A member of the solar system which usually moves in an elongated orbit, approaching very near to the sun in its perihelion, and receding to a very great distance from it at its aphelion. A comet commonly consists of three parts: the nucleus, the envelope, or coma, and the tail; but one or more of these parts is frequently wanting. See Illustration in Appendix.
Comet-finder, Comet- seeker Com"et-find`er, Com"et- seek`er noun (Astron.) A telescope of low power, having a large field of view, used for finding comets.
Cometarium Com`e·ta"ri·um noun [ New Latin ]
(Astron.) An instrument, intended to represent the revolution of a comet round the sun. Hutton.
Cometary Com"et·a·ry adjective [ Confer French
cométaire .]
Pertaining to, or resembling, a comet. Cheyne.
Comether Co·meth"er noun [ Prob. dial. pron. of
come hither , used in calling cows, etc.] [ Dial. or Colloq., Brit.]
1. Matter; affair. 2. Friendly communication or association. To put the, or one's ,
comether on ,
to exercise persuasion upon; to get under one's influence; to beguile; to wheedle. How does ut come about, sorr, that whin a man has put the comether on wan woman he's sure bound to put ut on another?
Kipling.
Cometic Co·met"ic adjective Relating to a comet.
Cometographer Com`et·og"ra·pher noun One who describes or writes about comets.
Cometography Com`et·og"ra·phy noun [
Comet +
-graphy : confer French
cométographie .]
A description of, or a treatise concerning, comets.
Cometology Com`et·ol"o·gy noun [
Comet +
-logy .]
The department of astronomy relating to comets.
Comfit Com"fit noun [ French
confit , prop. a past participle , from
confire to preserve, pickle, from Latin
conficere to prepare;
con- +
facere to make. See
Fact , and confer
Confect .]
A dry sweetmeat; any kind of fruit, root, or seed preserved with sugar and dried; a confection.
Comfit Com"fit transitive verb To preserve dry with sugar. The fruit which does so quickly waste, . . .
Thou comfitest in sweets to make it last.
Cowley.
Comfiture Com"fi·ture noun [ French
confiture ; confer Late Latin
confecturae sweetmeats,
confectura a preparing. See
Comfit , and confer
Confiture .]
See Comfit , noun
Comfort Com"fort transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Comforted ;
present participle & verbal noun Comforting. ] [ French
conforter , from Latin
confortare to strengthen much;
con- +
fortis strong. See
Fort .]
1. To make strong; to invigorate; to fortify; to corroborate. [ Obsolete]
Wyclif. God's own testimony . . . doth not a little comfort and confirm the same.
Hooker.
2. To assist or help; to aid. [ Obsolete]
I . . . can not help the noble chevalier:
God comfort him in this necessity!
Shak.
3. To impart strength and hope to; to encourage; to relieve; to console; to cheer. Light excelleth in comforting the spirits of men.
Bacon.
That we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction.
2 Cor. i. 4 (Rev. Ver.).
A perfect woman, nobly planned,
To warn, to comfort , and command.
Wordsworth.
Syn. -- To cheer; solace; console; revive; encourage; enliven; invigorate; inspirit; gladden; recreate; exhilarate; refresh; animate; confirm; strengthen. --
To Comfort ,
Console ,
Solace . These verbs all suppose some antecedent state of suffering or sorrow.
Console is confined to the act giving sympathetic relief to the mind under affliction or sorrow, and points to some definite source of that relief; as, the presence of his friend
consoled him; he was much
consoled by this intelligence. The act of consoling commonly implies the inculcation of resignation.
Comfort points to relief afforded by the communication of positive pleasure, hope, and strength, as well as by the diminution of pain; as, "They brought the young man alive, and were not a little
comforted ."
Acts xx. 12. Solace is from Latin
solacium , which means according to Dumesnil, consolation inwardly felt or applied to the case of the sufferer. Hence, the verb
to solace denotes the using of things for the purpose of affording relief under sorrow or suffering; as,
to solace one's self with reflections, with books, or with active employments.
Comfort Com"fort noun [ Old French
confort , from
conforter .]
1. Assistance; relief; support. [ Obsolete except in the phrase "aid and
comfort ." See 5 below.]
Shak. 2. Encouragement; solace; consolation in trouble; also, that which affords consolation. In comfort of her mother's fears.
Shak.
Cheer thy spirit with this comfort .
Shak.
Speaking words of endearment where words of comfort availed not.
Longfellow.
3. A state of quiet enjoyment; freedom from pain, want, or anxiety; also, whatever contributes to such a condition. I had much joy and comfort in thy love.
Phil. 7 (Rev. Ver.).
He had the means of living in comfort .
Macaulay.
4. A wadded bedquilt; a comfortable. [ U. S.]
5. (Law) Unlawful support, countenance, or encouragement; as, to give aid and comfort to the enemy. Syn. --
Comfort ,
Consolation .
Comfort has two meanings:
1. Strength and relief received under affliction;
2. Positive enjoyment, of a quiet, permanent nature, together with the sources thereof; as, the
comfort of love; surrounded with
comforts ; but it is with the former only that the word
consolation is brought into comparison. As thus compared,
consolation points to some specific source of relief for the afflicted mind; as, the
consolations of religion.
Comfort supposes the relief to be afforded by imparting positive enjoyment, as well as a diminution of pain. "
Consolation , or
comfort , signifies some alleviation to that pain to which it is not in our power to afford the proper and adequate remedy; they imply rather an augmentation of the power of bearing, than a diminution of the burden."
Johnson.
Comfortable Com"fort·a·ble adjective [ Old French
confortable .]
1. Strong; vigorous; valiant. [ Obsolete]
Wyclif. Thy conceit is nearer death than thy powers. For my sake be comfortable ; hold death a while at the arm's end.
Shak.
2. Serviceable; helpful. [ Obsolete]
Be comfortable to my mother, your mistress, and make much of her.
Shak.
3. Affording or imparting comfort or consolation; able to comfort; cheering; as, a comfortable hope. "Kind words and
comfortable ."
Cowper. A comfortable provision made for their subsistence.
Dryden.
4. In a condition of comfort; having comforts; not suffering or anxious; hence, contented; cheerful; as, to lead a comfortable life. My lord leans wondrously to discontent;
His comfortable temper has forsook him:
He is much out of health.
Shak.
5. Free, or comparatively free, from pain or distress; -- used of a sick person. [ U. S.]
Comfortable Com"fort·a·ble noun A stuffed or quilted coverlet for a bed; a comforter; a comfort. [ U. S.]
Comfortableness Com"fort·a·ble·ness noun State of being comfortable.