ensconce
[ en-skons ]
/ ɛnˈskɒns /
verb (used with object), en·sconced, en·sconc·ing.
to settle securely or snugly: I found her in the library, ensconced in an armchair.
to cover or shelter; hide securely: He ensconced himself in the closet in order to eavesdrop.
RELATED CONTENT
RELATED WORDS
situate, stash, locate, plant, set, shield, conceal, establish, fix, cache, cover, protect, seat, nestle, settle, place, install, shelter, station, ditch
Nearby words
- ens.,
- ensa,
- ensample,
- ensanguine,
- enschede,
- ensconced,
- enscroll,
- ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem,
- ensemble,
- ensemble acting
Origin of ensconce
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for ensconce
ensconce
/ (ɪnˈskɒns) /
verb (tr; often passive)
to establish or settle firmly or comfortablyensconced in a chair
to place in safety; hide
Word Origin for ensconce
C16: see en- 1, sconce ²
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
ensconce
1580s, "to cover with a fort," from en- (1) "make, put in" + sconce "small fortification, shelter," perhaps via French, probably from Dutch schans "earthwork" (cf. Middle High German schanze "bundle of sticks"), of uncertain origin. Related: Ensconced.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper