sheath

American  

[sheeth] / ʃiθ /

noun

plural

sheaths

1. a case or covering for the blade of a sword, dagger, or the like.

2. any similar close-fitting covering or case.

3. a condom.

4. Biology. a closely enveloping part or structure, as in an animal or plant.

5. Botany. the leaf base when it forms a vertical coating surrounding the stem.

6. a close-fitting dress, skirt, or coat, especially an unbelted dress with a straight drape.

7. Electricity. the metal covering of a cable.

8. Electronics.

   1. the metal wall of a wave guide.

   2. a space charge formed by ions near an electrode in a tube containing low-pressure gas.

   3. the region of a space charge in a cathode-ray tube.

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verb (used with object)

1. to sheathe.

sheath British  

/ ʃiːθ /

noun

1. a case or covering for the blade of a knife, sword, etc

2. any similar close-fitting case

3. biology an enclosing or protective structure, such as a leaf base encasing the stem of a plant

4. the protective covering on an electric cable

5. a figure-hugging dress with a narrow tapering skirt

6. another name for condom

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verb

1. (tr) another word for sheathe

sheath Scientific  

/ shēth /

1. An enveloping tubular structure, such as the base of a grass leaf that surrounds the stem or the tissue that encloses a muscle or nerve fiber.

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Other Word Forms

• sheathless adjective
• sheathlike adjective
• sheathy adjective

Etymology

Origin of sheath

before 950; Middle English s ( c ) heth ( e ), Old English scēath; cognate with German Scheide; shed ²

Example Sentences

Then he untied the buckskin sheath from his father’s belt.

From Literature

Dr. Thomas Bornschlögl, other lead author, from the same L'Oréal team adds: "This reveals that hair growth is not driven only by cell division -- instead, outer root sheath actively pull the hair upwards."

From Science Daily

One was for a spyglass, one for a whorly, whistling shell, and one for a fat red pocketknife in a sheath.

From Literature

He took out his dagger, still in its sheath, and set it on the table, just in case.

From Literature

Demyelination is the process in which the myelin sheath -- a protective, insulating layer surrounding nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord -- is damaged or destroyed.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• covering