Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

coomb

/kuːm/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.09 in modern English

Syllables: coomb
IPA: /kuːm/

11

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A tub or vat, especially used in brewing.

noun

An old English measure of corn (e.g., wheat), equal to half a quarter or 4 bushels.

noun

Alternative spelling of combe.

Example Sentences

"It was equal to half a quarter, i.e. is identical with the coomb of the eastern counties."
"Two kilderkins, or strikes, make a measure called a barrel, liquid, and a coomb, dry; this last term being ancient and little used."
"From the centre of each side of this tree-bound square ran avenues east, west, and south into the wide expanse of corn-land and coomb to the distance of a mile or so."

Etymology

From Middle English *coumb, *comb, *cumb (> Scots cumb, coom (“tub, cistern”)), from Old English cumb (“a vessel; a liquid measure”), from Proto-West Germanic *kumb, from Proto-Germanic *kumbaz (“bowl, vessel”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *gew- (“to bend, curve”). Cognate with Dutch kom (“basin, bowl”), German Kumpf (“bowl”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: *coumb, cumb, *kumb, *kumbaz, *gew-

Inflected Forms

coombs (plural) comb (alternative)

Homonyms

combe cwm

Rhymes With

home room whom assume bathroom boom costume resume fixing room packing room bloom locker room

Questions

How do you pronounce coomb?: The recorded pronunciation is /kuːm/.
What does coomb mean?: A tub or vat, especially used in brewing.
Where does coomb come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce coomb

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “coomb”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/kuːm/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “coomb”.
Repeat and practice — Say “coomb” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.