[f. COMB v.1 + -ER.]
1. One who or that which combs; spec. one whose business it is to comb wool.
1646–82. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., III. xxvi. (1686), 138. Combers of wooll.
1745. De Foe’s Eng. Tradesman, xlvii. (1841), II. 189. The combers are a particular set of people, and the combing a trade by itself.
1790. Wolcott, 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 fibers 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.
1831. Porter, Silk Manuf., 254. A board in front of and somewhat lower than the breast roll of the loom—called a comber-board.
1887. Bolton 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.
1840. R. Dana, Bef. Mast, ix. 21. The heavy swell of the Pacific was … breaking in loud and high ‘combers’ upon the beach.
1862. M. Hopkins, Hawaii, 26. They curled over and broke like combers on the reef.
1887. J. 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.)
1874. Knight, 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.
