kemb, v. Obs. exc. dial.
Forms: α. 1 cemban, (cæmban), 3 kemben, 3–7 kembe, (6 kimbe), 6– kemb. pa. tense and pa. pple. 3–8 kembed, 3– kempt. β. 4 cemme, 6– 7 kemm, 9 kem. γ. 4–6 keme, (6 keame, keyme), 7 keem.
[Com. Teut.: OE. cęmban = OS. kembian, kemmian (MDu. kemmen), OHG. chempan (MHG. kemben, kemmen, G. kämmen), ON. kemba (Da. kæmme):—O.Teut. *kambjan, f. kamb- comb n.1 Now displaced by comb v.1 (f. the n.; cf. Du. kammen, Sw. kamma), but partly surviving in the pa. pple. kempt, and the commoner unkempt.
In ME. the vowel usually remained short, and the commonest spelling is kemb or kemm: forms indicating a long vowel are much less frequent. In later Sc. it is difficult to separate kemb or keme from kame = comb.]
1. trans. To disentangle and smooth (hair) by drawing a comb through it; to dress or trim (the hair, head, a person, etc.) with a comb; to curry (a horse): = comb v.1 1. Now dial.
| α c 1000 ælfric Gram. xxviii. (Z.) 168 Pecto ic cembe [v.r. cæmbe]. a 1225 Ancr. R. 422 marg., Ha mot oftere weschen & kemben hire holuet. a 1300 Floriz & Bl. 562 Þat on his heued for to kembe Þat oþer bringe towaille and bacin. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1285 His longe heer was kembd [v.r. kemb, kempte] bihynde his bak. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 99 As she kembed her hede atte a wyndow, the kinge perceiued her. 1562 W. Bullein Def. agst. Sickness, Bk. vse Sicke men 67 Then begin with a fine Combe, to kembe the heere up and doun. a 1661 Fuller Worthies iii. (1662) 228 Not able to kembe his own head. 1725 Bailey Erasm. Colloq. 35 How often do you rub 'em down, or kemb them in a year? 1832 Motherwell Poems (1847) 131 While kembing locks like sunbeams glancing. 1874 Holland Mistr. Manse xvi. 64 Clean and kempt, the little oaf..went forth. |
| β 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 188 Þe mane of þat mayn hors..Wel cresped & cemmed. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) iv. 13 He sawe a damysell kemmand hir hare. 1508 Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen 275 Weil couth I..kemm his cowit noddill. 1561 Hollybush Hom. Apoth. 2 Strake or kemme the heyres. 1812 W. Tennant Anster F. iv. lxxvi, The mermaids..kem..Their long sleek oozy locks. |
| γ 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. vi. vi. (Tollem. MS.), Whan þe modir wascheþ and kemeþ hem. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 45 This day we trow shalle not this lady be kemed, and arraied. 1557 Seager Sch. Vertue 74 in Babees Bk. 338 Thy handes se thou washe, and thy hed keame [rime seame]. 1618 Sir T. Wilson Jrnl. 21 Sept. (R. Suppl.), He [Raleigh] told me he was wont to keem his head a whole hour every day. 1639 Horn & Rob. Gate Lang. Unl. liii. §586 The bush of haire..is keem'd with a combe. a 1835 Hogg Poems (1865) 33 (E.D.D.) They kemed her hair. |
b. fig. To trim, make smooth or elegant.
| c 1386 Chaucer Sqr.'s T. 552 So peynted he and kembde at point deuys As wel hise wordes as his contenaunce. c 1391 ― Boeth. i. met. v. 14 (Camb. MS.) The fraude couered and kembd with a fals coloure. |
c. humorously. To beat, thrash;
= comb v.
1 3.
| c 1566 Merie T. in Skelton's Wks. (1843) I. p. lix, Hys wife woulde diuers tymes in the weeke kimbe his head with a iii. footed stoole. 1769 Wallis Antiq. Nhb. in N. & Q. (1877) 5th S. VII. 208 Kemb, ..often used by borderers when they threaten in a passionate tone to beat an assailant. |
† 2. To prepare (wool, flax, etc.) for spinning by parting and straightening the fibres with wool-combs or cards;
= comb v.
1 2. Also
absol. Obs.| a 1300 Sat. People Kildare xix. in E.E.P. (1862) 155 Fi a debles kaites that kemith the wolle. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. x. 18 Carded with coueytise, as clotheres kemben here wolle. 1393 Ibid. C. x. 80 Boþe to karde and to kembe, to clouten and to wasche. 1543 Traheron Vigo's Chirurg. ii. iv. ii. 66 Unwashed woalle..or towe wel kembed. 1627–77 Feltham Resolves ii. lx. 285 We are like Flax that's dress'd, and dry'd, and kemb'd. 1715 tr. Pancirollus' Rerum Mem. II. xxiv. 403 They were famous for kembing silken Fleeces. |
† b. To tear or lacerate with a comb-like instrument.
Obs.| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xx. (Blasius) 187 [He] gert þame keme his tendir flesch with Irne camys. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 121 b/1 Thenne the bochyers toke combes of yron and began to kembe hym on the sides within the flesshe. |
† 3. to kemb from or off: to remove or obtain by means of combing, or by a similar process. Also with
out.
Cf. comb v.
1 4.
Obs.| 1601 Holland Pliny vi. xvii, They kembe from the leaves of their trees the hoarie downe thereof. 1605 Camden Rem. (1637) 194 Sericum which was a doune kembed off the trees among the Seres. 1622 Fletcher Beggar's Bush ii. i, No impositions, taxes, grievances..Lie lurking in this beard, but all kem'd out. 1626 Bacon Sylva §617 There are some Tears of Trees, which are kembed from the Beards of Goats. |