fine tooth comb
Thorough search tool
A fine tooth comb, more properly fine-toothed comb, is a comb with narrow spaces between its teeth, designed to catch small particles like lice or nits.
The phrase appears almost exclusively in go over with a fine tooth comb, meaning to examine something meticulously: Investigators went over the crime scene with a fine tooth comb.
- scrutinizeInspect with close attention
- go overExamine or traverse
- inspectStudy closely for flaws
- meticulousShowing extreme attention to detail
- thoroughComplete in every detail
close inspection · examine · leave no stone unturned · search · pick apart · nits · head lice · lice · grooming · hair care · detail · careful · look closely · sift · teeth · bristles · parting · hair
- grooming toolshairbrush, razor, tweezers, nail clipper, nail clippers
- Hair Carehair dryer, hair brush, hairbrush, shampoo, hair clips
- barbershopbarber, barber chair, barber pole, clippers, razor
- detailsdetail, particular, specific, fact, point
- barber toolsscissors, shears, clippers, razors, trimmers
thoroughness of examination
fine tooth combquick scan
Brief, surface-level examination
skim · gloss over · overview · quick once-over · once-over
fine, tooth, comb, finer, finest, finely, fineness, toothed, toothy