columnist
268
v] a) a large number of rows of people, vehicles etc
following one behind the other: a column of soldiers b) a
long line of ships one behind the other 4 one of two or
more divisions of a page, lying side by side and separated
from each other by a narrow space, in which lines of print
are arranged: There are two columns on each page of this
dictionary. 5 an article by a particular writer or on a particu-
lar subject, that regularly appears in a newspaper or maga-
zine: his weekly column in the 'New York Times' | the gossip
column → see PERSONAL COLUMN, FIFTH COLUMN
col·umn·ist /'kɒləmnɪst, -ləmnɪst||'ka:-/ n a person who
writes a newspaper or magazine COLUMN
co·ma /'kəʊmə/ n a state of long unnatural deep uncon-
sciousness, from which it is difficult to wake up, caused by
disease, poison, a severe blow to the head etc: She went into
a coma after swallowing a whole bottle of sleeping pills. →
see also COMATOSE
Co·man·che /kə'mæntʃi/ n 1 the Comanche [P] a Native
American tribe that lived in a large area of the southwestern
US. They were known especially for their skill at riding
horses and at fighting. 2 [C] a member of this tribe → see
Cultural Note at NATIVE AMERICAN —Comanche adj: Coman-
che warriors
co·ma·tose /'kəʊmətəʊs/ adj 1 tech in a coma; deeply
unconscious 2 infml inactive and sleepy; TORPID: feeling a bit
comatose after dinner
comb¹ /kəʊm/ n 1 [C] a) an object used for tidying,
arranging, or straightening the hair, usually consisting of a
piece of plastic, metal, bone etc with a row of thin teeth b)
an object like this in shape that is worn in a woman's hair as
a decoration 2 [C] an object like a comb used for straight-
ening and cleaning wool, cotton etc 3 [S] an act of comb-
ing: Your hair needs a good comb. 4 [C] the red growth of
flesh on top of the head of a COCK (=a fully grown male
chicken) 5 [C] a HONEYCOMB → see also FINE-TOOTH COMB
comb² v [T] 1 to tidy, arrange, or straighten (especially the
hair) with a comb: Comb your hair before you go out. 2 [(for)]
to search (a place) thoroughly: The police combed the woods
for the missing boy.
comb out sbdy./sthg. phr v [T(from)] infml 1 to find and get
rid of (unnecessary people or things): to reduce costs by
combing out unnecessary staff 2 to remove (twists or KNOTS)
from (hair) by combing: She combed out the knots in the cat's
long fur. —comb-out n [S] infml: a comb-out of clerical staff
comb³ written abbrev. for 1 combination 2 combined
com·bat¹ /'kɒmbæt||'ka:m-/ n [C;U(with, between, against)] (a)
struggle between opposing people or armies: These troops
have very little experience of actual combat. | killed in
combat | The knight challenged his enemy to single combat.
(=a fight between only two people) | The two men were
locked in mortal combat. (=fighting until the death of one
of them) | (fig.) the combat between good and evil | a combat
plane
com·bat² /'kɒmbæt, kəm'bæt||kəm'bæt, 'ka:mbæt/ v -tt-
BrE || -t- or -tt- AmE [T] fml to fight or struggle against; try to
defeat: The police are now using computers to help combat
crime. | new government strategies to combat drug abuse
com·ba·tant /'kɒmbətənt||kəm'bætənt/ n a person taking a
direct part in fighting: In the last war as many noncombat-
ants as combatants were killed. → see also NONCOMBATANT
'combat fa·tigue n [U] tech BATTLE FATIGUE
com·ba·tive /'kɒmbətɪv||kəm'bætɪv/ adj sometimes derog
ready and eager to fight or argue: a combative spokesman for
right-wing policies —ly adv
com·bats /'kɒmbæts||'ka:m-/ n [P] loose trousers with many
pockets, like the trousers worn by people in the ARMED
FORCES
comb·er /'kəʊmə/ n 1 a person or machine that combs
wool, cotton etc 2 a long curling wave
com·bi·na·tion /ˌkmbɪ'neɪʃn||ˌka:m-/ n 1 [U] the act of
combining or state of being combined: The two writers
worked well in combination. 2 [C(of)] a result of combining; a
number of separate things or people that are combined to
form a single unit or whole: An alloy is a combination of two
or more different metals. | A combination of high interest rates
and falling demand forced the company to close. | Her expres-
sion was a combination of guilt and dismay. | Working as a
team, the singer and the songwriter proved to be a winning
combination. 3 [C] the numbers or letters needed to open a
COMBINATION LOCK: You can't open the safe unless you know
the combination. 4 [C] any of the sets of a stated number of
things that can be chosen from a group where their order
does not matter: The three possible combinations of two
letters chosen from ABC are AB, BC, and AC. → compare
PERMUTATION; see also COMBINATIONS
combi'nation lock n a lock which can only be opened
when its control is turned in accordance with a special list of
numbers or letters
com·bi·na·tions /ˌkɒmbɪ'neʃnz||ka:m-/ also coms
/kɒmz||ka:mz/ BrE infml || 'union suit AmE — n [P] a one-piece
usually woollen undergarment that covers the whole body,
worn especially formerly → see PAIR (USAGE)
com·bine¹ /kəm'baɪn/ v 1 [I;T(with)] to join together, to form
a single unit or whole; unite: The two countries combined
against their common enemy. | The three parties combined to
form a coalition government. | Let's combine our scientific
knowledge and your business skills and start a company. | The
combined effect of low profits and high inflation proved fatal
to the company. | Low profits, combined with high inflation,
proved fatal. 2 [T(with)] to have or do at the same time: They
combined their holiday with a visit to their relatives. | 4
combine business with pleasure → see MIX (USAGE)
com·bine² /'kɒmbaɪn||'ka:m-/ n 1 [+sing./pl. v] a group of
people, businesses etc joined or acting together: A large
industrial combine is/are reopening the factory. 2 also ,com-
bine 'harvester — a machine that REAPS (=cuts), THRESHES
(=separates the seed from the stem), and cleans grain
com·bin·ing form n tech a form of a word that cannot stand
alone, but is used with other words to build new ones: The
combining form 'Afro-', meaning 'African', combines with
'American' to make 'Afro-American'.
com·bo /'kɒmbəʊ||'ka:m-/ n pl. -bos [C+sing./pl. v] infml a small
band that plays JAZZ or dance music
com·bus·ti·ble¹ /kəm'bʌstəbl/ adj 1 that can catch fire
and burn easily: Petrol is highly combustible. → opposite
INCOMBUSTIBLE 2 (of a person) easily excited or annoyed
combustible² n a combustible substance
com·bus·tion /kəm'bʌstʃən/ n [U] 1 the process of catch-
ing fire and burning 2 tech the chemical activity, usually in
the presence of oxygen, that produces light and heat → see
also INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE
come¹ /kʌm/ v came /keɪm/, come to MOVE or
TRAVEL 1 [+adv/prep] to move towards the speaker or a par-
ticular place: Come here and look at this. | 'How did you get
here?' 'We came by train.' | He came towards me/through the
door. | The police came to his rescue. | Could you come and see
me tomorrow? | What time are you coming back? | My parents
are coming for dinner/coming to have dinner with us. | Would
you like to come to the concert with me? | [+v-ing] The little girl
came running to her mother for sympathy. | A man comes to
clean the windows every Friday. → compare GO 2 [+adv/prep]
to reach a particular point or place by travelling (over a
distance): They've come hundreds of miles to be here tonight.
(fig.) Computer technology has come a long way since the 1970s.
TO ARRIVE AT OR BE IN A PLACE OR POSITION 3 [I] to arrive,
especially as expected or in the usual course of events: I've
been waiting for hours and he still hasn't come! | Christmas is
coming soon. | The time has come for us to make a decision. | We
come now to the main business of the meeting. | The news came
as a great shock to him. | The bill could hardly have come at a
worse time. (=this was a very bad time for it to come) | I'm very
busy, but come the new year (=when the new year arrives) I'll
have more free time. | If I don't have the correct tools for the job
I use whatever comes to hand. (=is within reach) | I never plan
ahead; I just take life as it comes. 4 [+adv/prep] to reach: The
water came (up) to my neck. | Her hair comes (down) to her
waist. 5 [+adv/prep] to be in a particular place or position in
order: The address should come above the date. | Monday comes
after Sunday. | Your family should always come before (=be
more important than) your job. | She came first in the exam.
(=got the highest marks) TO PASS INTO ANOTHER
STATE 6 [+adv/prep] to arrive at or pass into a particular state
or position: The general came to power in a military coup. |
The government is coming under increasing pressure to change
its policies. | The new battleship is expected to come into service.