Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Pecten

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

PEC'TEN (κτείς). A comb for the hair, made of box wood (Mart. xiv. 25. Ov. Met. iv. 311.), or ivory (Claud. Nupt. Honor. et Mar. 102.). The illustration (Pecten/1.1) represents a small-toothed comb (denso dente. Tibull. i. 9. 68.), from an original of ancient workmanship, made of box-wood, and having a bar of ivory inlaid with a pattern in gold, placed across the back, between the two rows of teeth, which are cut extremely fine and even. The large-toothed comb (rarus pecten) was likewise employed in hair-cutting to place under the scissors, in order to prevent them from clipping too close. Plaut. Capt. ii. 2. 18.

2. (κερκίς). An instrument with teeth like a comb, employed by the ancient weavers for the same purpose as the "reed," "lay," or "batten" of our own times; viz. to run the threads of the web close together, by inserting its teeth between the threads of the warp, and pressing the comb up or down, according to the direction in which the web was intended to be driven. (Ov. Met. vi. 58. Virg. Aen. vii. 14.) The example (Pecten/2.1) represents an Egyptian implement of this description, from an original found in a tomb at Thebes, and now preserved in the British Museum.

3. An iron-toothed brush, set with a number of crooked pins (pectinis unci. Claud. in Eutrop. ii. 382.), employed for carding wool or flax. Plin. H. N. xi. 27.

4. A haymaker's rake, which had the teeth set wide apart; rarus pecten. Ov. Rem. Am. 192.

5. An iron instrument, with teeth like a comb, employed at harvest in some parts of ancient Italy and Gaul, instead of the reaping hook (falx), to nick off the ears of standing corn, as well as other grain, close under the neck, without cutting the stalk. Columell. ii. 20. 3. Plin. H. N. xviii. 72. Compare FALX DENTICULATA and MERGA.

6. A contrivance employed for striking the chords of a stringed instrument. (Virg. Aen. vi. 647. Juv. vi. 382.) It was either the same as the PLECTRUM (which see); or, as the other senses of the word seem to indicate, a more complicated implement, with several teeth, instead of a single stick; but we know of no authorities, either written or demonstrative, to establish that conjecture.

7. A particular figure in a dance, the nature of which is unknown. Stat. Ach. ii. 159.

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  Pecten/1.1
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  Pecten/2.1