ensconce

[en-skons]

verb (used with object)

ensconced, ensconcing 

1. to settle securely or snugly.

   I found her in the library, ensconced in an armchair.

2. to cover or shelter; hide securely.

   He ensconced himself in the closet in order to eavesdrop.

ensconce

/ ɪnˈskɒns /

verb

1. to establish or settle firmly or comfortably

   ensconced in a chair

2. to place in safety; hide

Word History and Origins

Origin of ensconce¹

First recorded in 1580–90; en- ¹ + sconce ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of ensconce¹

C16: see _en- ¹ , _sconce ²

Example Sentences

On a recent weekday, the country’s leading legal lexicographer was ensconced among the 4,500 some-odd dictionaries that fill his Dallas home, revising the entry for the adjective “calculated” ahead of Black’s 13th Edition.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

His wife, Patty, was ensconced in a coordinating suit, hers brown, his green.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But in some ways, Maduro is more safely ensconced than ever, with most opposition leaders in exile and Venezuelans too fearful to protest as they once did.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Most supporters are firmly ensconced in the world of white evangelicalism, which is famously alienating to most everyone outside it.

Read more on Salon

But through the legal process he spent as little time at court as possible, ensconced instead in the safety and privacy of his home.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• situate 
• stash