pecten, ĭnis, m. [pecto], a comb.
I Prop., for the hair , Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 18; Ov. Am. 1, 14, 15: deducit pectine crines, id. M. 4, 311; 12, 409; Petr. 126; Spart. Hadr. 26.—
II Transf., of things resembling a comb.
A The reed or sley of a weaver's loom: arguto tenues percurrens pectine telas, Verg. A. 7, 14; Ov. F. 3, 819; cf. id. M. 6, 58; Varr. L. L. 5, 23, § 113.—
2 The weaver's art , weaving : victa est Pectine Niliaco jam Babylonis acus, Mart. 14, 150, 2.—
B An instrument for heckling flax or combing wool , a comb , card , heckle , Juv. 9, 30; Plin. 11, 23, 27, § 77; Claud. Eutr. 2, 382.—
C A rake : tonsam raro pectine verrit humum, Ov. R. Am. 191; Plin. 18, 30, 72, § 297; Col. 2, 20.—
D A clasping of the hands in distress, Ov. M. 9, 299.—Of the mingling of the oars of two vessels: mixtis obliquo pectine remis, Luc. 3, 609 dub. (al. pectore).—
E Pecten dentium, a row of teeth , Prud. στεφ. 10, 934.—
F A stripe or vein in wood, Plin. 16, 38, 73, § 185.—
G The hair of the pubes , Juv. 6, 370; Plin. 29, 1, 8, § 26.—Also, the sharebone , Cels. 8, 1.—
H A kind of dance : Amazonius, Stat. Ach. 2, 156.—
K An instrument with which the strings of the lyre were struck : jamque eadem digitis, jam pectine pulsat eburno, Verg. A. 6, 647 Serv.; Juv. 6, 382.—
2 Transf.
a A lyre , Val. Fl. 3, 159.—
b A poem or song : dum canimus sacras alterno pectine Nonas, i. e. in distichs , Ov. F. 2, 121.—
L A kind of shell-fish , a scallop : pectinibus patulis jactat se molle Tarentum, Hor. S. 2, 4, 34; Plin. 9, 33, 51, § 101; 9, 51, 74, § 160; 11, 37, 52, § 139; 11, 51, 112, § 267; 32, 11, 53, § 150.—
M Pecten Veneris, a plant , perh. Venus's comb , needle-weed , Plin. 24, 19, 114, § 175.