combed

Combed is the past tense and past participle of the verb comb, and is used as an adjective to describe something that has undergone the process of combing. The most common applications are in hair grooming and textile fiber processing.

In grooming, combed hair refers to hair that has been arranged with a comb or brush to a neat, orderly state. The resulting texture depends on the comb's teeth and the technique used; combed hair is typically contrasted with uncombed or tousled hair in descriptions of appearance.

In textiles, combed denotes a stage in fiber preparation. After carding, fibers are passed through combs to align their fibers and remove short, damaged, or uneven fibers. This produces a longer, finer, and more uniform fiber, which yields stronger and smoother yarn. Combed cotton, for example, is used for higher-quality fabrics, while combed wool is used for worsted yarns. The alternative is carded fiber, which yields a fuzzier, warmer yarn. The choice between combed and carded processes affects fabric characteristics such as luster, strength, and fineness.

In general usage, the term may appear in product labels or technical descriptions to indicate that a material has undergone combing. The concept is central to quality grading in both personal grooming and textile manufacturing.