Emily Dickinson Lexicon

COM'BAT-ER, n.

One who fights or contends. – Sherwood.

COM'BAT-ING, ppr.

Striving to resist; fighting; opposing by force or by argument.

COM'BAT-IVE, a.

Disposed to combat.

COM'BAT-IVE-NESS, n.

Disposition to contend.

COMB'-BIRD, n.

A gallinaceous fowl of Africa, of the size of a turky-cock.

COMB'-BRUSH, n.

A brush to clean combs.

COMB'ED, pp.

Separated, cleaned, or dressed with a comb.

COMB'ER, n.¹

One who combs; one whose occupation is to comb wool, &c.

COM'BER, n.²

Incumbrance. [Not used.]

COM'BER, n.³

A long slender fish with a red back, found in Cornwall, England.

COM-BIN'A-BLE, a.

Capable of combining. – Chesterfield.

COM-BIN'A-BLE-NESS, n.

State of being combinable.

COM'BI-NATE, a. [See Combine.]

Espoused; betrothed. [Not used.] – Shak.

COM-BI-NA'TION, n. [Fr. combinaison. See Combine. In general, close union or connection. Hence,]

1. Intimate union, or association of two or more persons or things, by set purpose or agreement, for effecting some object, by joint operation; in a good sense, when the object is laudable; in an ill sense, when it is illegal or iniquitous. It is sometimes equivalent to league, or to conspiracy. We say, a combination of men to overthrow government, or a combination to resist oppression.
2. An assemblage; union of particulars; as, a combination of circumstances.
3. Commixture; union of bodies or qualities in a mass or compound; as, to make new compounds by new combinations. – Boyle.
4. Chimical union; union by affinity. Mix dry acid of tartar with dry carbonate of potash; no combination will ensue, till water is added. – Henry.
5. In mathematics, the union of numbers or quantities in every possible manner; or the variation or alteration of any number of quantities, letters, sounds, or the like, in all the different manners possible. The number of possible changes or combinations is found by multiplying the terms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, continually into each other. Thus 1×2=2; 2×3 =6; 6×4=24; 24×5= 120, &c. So the permutations of five quantities amount to 120. The changes that may be rung on twelve bells amount to 479,001,600. And the twenty-four letters of the alphabet admit of 62,044,840,173,323,943,936,000 changes or combinations. – Encyc.

COM-BINE', v.i.

1. To unite, agree or coalesce; as, honor and policy combine to justify the measure.
2. To unite in friendship or design; to league together. You with your foes combine. – Dryden.
3. To unite by affinity, or natural attraction. Two substances which will not combine of themselves, may be made to combine by the intervention of a third.
4. To confederate; to unite as nations; as, the powers of Europe combined against France.

COM-BINE', v.t. [Fr. combiner; It. combinare; Sp. combinar; from the Low Latin combino, of com and binus, two and two, or double.]

1. To unite or join two or more things; to link closely together. Friendship combines the hearts of men. – Anon.
2. To agree; to accord; to settle by compact. [Not usual.] – Shak.
3. To join words or ideas together; opposed to analyze. – Johnson.
4. To cause to unite; to bring into union or confederacy. The violences of revolutionary France combined the powers of Europe in opposition.

COM-BIN'ED, pp.

United closely; associated; leagued; confederated; chimically united.

COM-BIN'ER, n.

He or that which combines.

COMB'ING, n.

Borrowed hair combed over a bald part of the head. [Local.] – Bp. Taylor.

COMB'ING, ppr.

Separating and adjusting hair, wool, &c.

COM-BIN'ING, ppr.

Uniting closely; joining in purpose; confederating; uniting by chimical affinity.

COMB'LESS, a.

Without a comb or crest; as, a combless cock. – Shak.

COMB'-MAK-ER, n.

One whose occupation is to make combs.

COM-BUST', a. [L. combustus, comburo.]

When a planet is in conjunction with the sun or apparently very near it, it is said to be combust, or in combustion. The distance within which this epithet is applicable to a planet, is said by some writers to be eight and a half degrees; others say, within the distance of half the sun's disk.

COM-BUST'I-BLE, a. [Fr. combustible; Sp. id.; from L. comburo, combustum.]

That will take fire and burn; capable of catching fire; thus, wood and coal are combustible bodies.