Forms: 6–7 coame, 7 coome, come, koom, comb, 8 coomb, 7– coom. [In senses 1–2 app. another form of CULM, pointing to a ME. colm, whence also ME. colmy adj. sooty, grimy, bicolmen vb. = bicollen to begrime with soot. In Sc. and north Eng., ul may become ū, as in bulk, Sc. bouk (būk), Bulmer in Northumberland, locally Boomer; cf. also shoulder, coulter, Sc. shooder, cooter. But the form coame in 1 may correspond to ON. kám ‘grime, film of dirt’; and sense 3 may be related to Ger. kahm, mold, ‘the white film on fermented liquids’; cf. KEEM. (For coom from WGer. káma-, OTeut. kámo-z, cf. BROOM, MOON.) The relationship of sense 4 is quite uncertain. Thus there are here possibly two or even three words.]
1. Soot, esp. that which forms about a fireplace, or settles as smuts from a smoky atmosphere. Smithy coom: the hard granular soot that forms over a blacksmith’s fire. (But see also 2.) Now Sc. or north Eng.
1587. Mascall, Govt. Cattle, Horses (1627), 126. The coame aboue the Smithes forge.
1610. Markham, Masterp., II. xxxvi. 273. The coame about the Smithes forge.
1691. Ray, N. C. Words, 137. Smidy, a Smiths Shop, whence Smidy-koom. Var. Dial.
1696. Phillips, Coome, the Soot that gathereth over an Ovens Mouth.
1825–79. Jamieson, s.v., If coom hang from the bars of a grate like shreds of silk, it is viewed by the superstitious as foretokening the arrival of strangers.
b. fig.
1823. Galt, Entail, III. xxvii. 251. I canna see how ye’ll clear your character o’ the coom ye hae brought on’t.
1826. J. Wilson, Noct. Ambr., Wks. 1855, I. 152. The thin black coom o’ annihilation and oblivion.
2. Coal dust or refuse, small coal, slack: cf. CULM.
1611. Vestry Bks. (Surtees), 161. Paide for beringe sand and smethie come to the same lyme, xijd.
1652. Boate, Nat. Hist. Irel., xx. § 84. 158. Upon this they lay a lay of … a certain sort of Sea-coal, the which, being wonderful small, and peculiarly called Comb, is hardly used for any other purpose [than burning lime].
1755–73. Johnson, Coom … is used in Scotland for the useless dust which falls from large coals.
1825–79. Jamieson, Coom … small coal, Sc.; Culm Eng.
1879. Dickinson, Cumbld. Gloss., Supp., Coom, the debris of coal: culm.
† 3. (See quot.) Obs.
1609. C. Butler, Fem. Mon., vi. (1623), O ij. This kinde of honey … after a while it corrupteth and becometh the sowrest, and the most unsauory of all things … which, then they commonly call Stopping or Coome.
† 4. The black stuff, composed of grease and dust, which works out from axles or bearings. Obs.
In quot. 1758 coom perhaps means grease for the wheels.
1724. Lond. Gaz., No. 6264/2. By marking of Sheep with large Quantities of Pitch, Tar, or Coomb.
1730–6. Bailey (folio), Coom … that matter that works out of the wheels of carriages.
1749. W. Ellis, Shepherd’s Guide, 298. To do this, it’s only rubbing the Coomb of a Cart-wheel over the Breast of the Ram, or if Coomb cannot conveniently be had, you may rub his breast over with Redding, and the Colour of it … will be left behind on the Ewe. Ibid. (1750), Country Housew., 287. To cure Shingles, take the black Coom that is made by oiling or greasing Bells in a Steeple and anoint with it.
1758. Ann. Reg., 107. A remarkable carriage set out … without coomb, or any oily, unctuous, or other liquid matter whatever to the wheels or axles.
1786. Sparrman, Voy. Cape G. H., I. 117. A box for the coom.
5. Dust from a corn mill, saw-dust, etc. dial.
1811. Willan, W. Riding Yorksh. Gloss., Coom, dust and scrapings of wood, produced in sawing.
1887. Jamieson, Suppl., Coom, dust from a mill, or from riddled seeds, i.e. from corn. Orkn.
