May I ask if you have looked it up in a dictionary? Clive
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
If not in regard to the toothed hair grooming utensil, I would assume it was used to describe a detailed/thorough search for something.
The search party combed the woods looking for the lost child.
You will have to come the desert to find water.