ensconce
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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.
verb
-
to establish or settle firmly or comfortably
ensconced in a chair
-
to place in safety; hide
Etymology
Origin of ensconce
Explanation
If you ensconce yourself somewhere, you settle in for quite a while, such as when you're home with the flu and ensconce yourself on the couch with the remote control, tissues, your phone, and a big glass of orange juice. Ensconce dates to the 1580s, when it literally meant "to cover with a fort." It isn't quite clear whether the word can be traced to French or Dutch, which has a word schans that describes "earthwork." Today, you don't need a protective structure like a fort in order to be ensconced, but the idea of being surrounded is key to the word's meaning.
Vocabulary lists containing ensconce
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Not surprisingly, John and Yoko quickly ensconce themselves among the nation’s glitterati, making vital connections with the likes of "yippie" founder Jerry Rubin, Black Panther Bobby Seale and poet Allen Ginsberg.
From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2025
Importantly, the proposed legislative findings would ensconce in federal statutory law our national commitment to “uninhibited, robust, and wide-open” debate while recognizing that certain defamation claims are contrary to that principle.
From Slate ● Jan. 22, 2023
Now, though – with Valverde gone and Suárez injured – Griezmann can ensconce, and against Getafe he showed his potential, applying a lovely finish to Lionel Messi’s through-ball before contributing to Sergi Roberto’s winner.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 17, 2020
It is plainly absurd to lionize and further the feral spirit of rock, and then to ensconce it behind archival Plexiglas.
From The New Yorker ● May 2, 2017
The real estate taxes her father was paying would have been double the amount of money required to ensconce her in the most expensive boarding school.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
He lay in a prone position, arms extended, body ensconced in gold and green lowrider armature, adhered to a blue bike frame, rocking on a 25-cent mechanical ride mechanism.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Even in the landscape of celebrity podcasts, there’s a presumption that celebrities can be more honest as they’re ensconced in a safe space with people just like them.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
His shift didn't finish until three in the morning and he's ensconced in a hooded down jacket to keep out the winter weather.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026
Routinely forgetting to drop the bat would be a bizarre mistake for any teenage baseball phenom who spent his youth ensconced in the game.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 8, 2026
Ralph hesitated; it seemed to him that his head was ensconced in smoke too.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
William has doubled down on royal life, ensconcing his children in the privacy of the Windsor Estate with the aim of giving them as normal a life as possible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
The branches dipped low, ensconcing me with the solace I needed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2026
Her children recalled her as wildly creative, toiling in an unheated attic and ensconcing herself in a collection of secondhand books that became so voluminous it eventually blocked the sunlight from entering her bedroom windows.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 21, 2020
The longer, leaner Bcozzy lacks the plush, ensconcing neck support of the Travelrest Ultimate or Cabeau Evolution.
From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2018
I found little difficulty in scaling the sides of Scuir More for a thousand feet upwards,—in one part by a route rarely attempted before,—and in ensconcing myself among the bloodstones.
From The Cruise of the Betsey or, A Summer Ramble Among the Fossiliferous Deposits of the Hebrides. With Rambles of a Geologist or, Ten Thousand Miles Over the Fossiliferous Deposits of Scotland by W. S. (William Samuel) Symonds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
