Comber

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkəʊmə/

Definitions

1. A large ocean wave that breaks on the shore ; an individual or device used to straighten and clean fibers by separating them
2. A strong rolling sea wave common along beaches ; a worker or apparatus designed to prepare fibers by removing tangles and aligning strands
3. A breaking surf wave known for its size and force ; a tool or person engaged in combing and cleaning fibers for textile production

Etymology: The sea's "comber" is named for what it does to the shore: it combs. The word comes from Middle English "comber" (also spelled "camber"), which is built from the verb "comb" plus the agent suffix "-er", so a comber is literally something that combs. The image is of a long wave rolling in and raking the sand or shingle, much as a comb drags through hair, and English sailors and coastal writers adopted the noun for the large breaking waves that do this. The word's older sense is worth a note too. Some Middle English uses of "comber" applied to a device or person that combs fibres, the wool-combing trade, which is the same root working in a different workshop. The sea sense is the one that survived.

Synonyms: breaker, wave