Dictionary

Welsh-comb en · VERB

Etymology

Denominal verb of Welsh comb.

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, informal, transitive) To comb (one's hair) with one's hand.
   • But her mind couldn’t help dwelling on the way the Russian’s long fingers had Welsh-combed his luxuriant hair. 2009, Charlie Brooks, chapter 21, in Citizen, London: Harper, →ISBN, page 145:
   • During the applause the singer poured a glass of water from the decanter into the tumbler, drank a mouthful, and Welsh-combed his moustache and hair. 2004, Evelyn Conlon, Later On:
   • Mr Fox shows his gratitude by using his rug as a prop, flopping it forward, Welsh-combing it back, letting it stand up on end as if from shock, while Mr Wells is content mostly to let his limply swathe his forehead. 1985 July 12, Martin Cropper, “Theatre: The Philanthropist”, in The Times, number 62,188, London, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 15, column 7:
   • He took off his silk hat and, blowing out impatiently his bushy moustache, welshcombed his hair with raking fingers. 1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[Episode 7: Aeolus]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC, part II [Odyssey], page 121:

Forms