backcomb
verb, noun
backcomb is spelled B-A-C-K-C-O-M-B: 8 letters. It appears about once in every 89 million words in written English, the 301,415th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, backcomb means “To hold the hair and comb it towards the head, thus giving it a bushier look” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in backcomb?
| Letters | 8: B-A-C-K-C-O-M-B |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 89 million words; the 301,415th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is backcomb?
Backcomb appears about once in every 89 million words in written English, the 301,415th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Forms of backcomb
- backcombs present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- backcombing participle, present
- backcombed participle, past
- back-comb
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does backcomb mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To hold the hair and comb it towards the head, thus giving it a bushier look.
noun
- 1
The hairstyle produced by backcombing.
- 2
datedA decorative comb worn as an ornament and to secure a hairstyle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Backcomb in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to hold the hair and comb it towards the head:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | toupieren |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does backcomb come from?
From back + comb.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).