Examples Word Origin
See more synonyms for sheath on Thesaurus.com noun, plural sheaths [sheeth z] /ʃiðz/ a case or covering for the blade of a sword, dagger, or the like. any similar close-fitting covering or case. a condom. Biology a closely enveloping part or structure, as in an animal or plant. Botany the leaf base when it forms a vertical coating surrounding the stem. a close-fitting dress, skirt, or coat, especially an unbelted dress with a straight drape. Electricity the metal covering of a cable. Electronics the metal wall of a wave guide. a space charge formed by ions near an electrode in a tube containing low-pressure gas. the region of a space charge in a cathode-ray tube. Show More
Origin of sheath before 950; Middle English s(c)heth(e ),
Old English scēath; cognate with
German Scheide; see
shed2 Related forms sheath·less , adjective sheath·like , sheath·y , adjective Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for sheath covering ,
coat ,
cover ,
sheathing ,
wrapping ,
scabbard ,
spathe ,
case ,
envelope ,
wrapper ,
capsule ,
skin ,
dress Examples from the Web for sheath Contemporary Examples of sheath The first lady wore a Michael Kors sheath with a matching cropped jacket and traditional pearls.
I learned from those articles, lessons about rhythm and pacing and when to stick the dagger in and when to sheath it.
I took off the sheath , the holster, so to speak, of the taser and I loaded the taser.
But Victoria Beckham likes a sheath so perfectly fitted that you might as well brace yourself for a diet based solely on refusal.
The sheath surrounding the nerves acts as an electrical insulator, increasing neural speed by 100-fold.
Historical Examples of sheath What make you, Alleyne, of these black lines which are drawn across the sheath ?
And drawing his knife from its sheath , he flung it down at my feet.
Sheath your swords, comrades; after all, it is no affair of ours.
He drew his short sword from its sheath , and scratched a deep mark in the gravel.
He tried to draw it, failed, and looking all along the sheath , saw its condition.
British Dictionary definitions for sheath noun plural sheaths (ʃiːðz ) a case or covering for the blade of a knife, sword, etc any similar close-fitting case biology an enclosing or protective structure, such as a leaf base encasing the stem of a plant the protective covering on an electric cable a figure-hugging dress with a narrow tapering skirt another name for condom Show More
Word Origin for sheath Old English scēath; related to Old Norse skeithir, Old High German sceida a dividing; compare Old English scādan to divide
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
Word Origin and History for sheath n. Old English sceað , scæð , from Proto-Germanic *skaithiz (cf. Old Saxon scethia , Old Norse skeiðir (plural), Old Frisian skethe , Middle Dutch schede , Dutch schede , Old High German skaida , German scheide "a sheath, scabbard"), according to OED, possibly from root *skei- "divide, split" (see shed (v.)) on notion of a split stick with the sword blade inserted. Meaning "condom" is recorded from 1861; sense of "close-fitting dress or skirt" is attested from 1904.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
n. pl. sheaths (shēðz, shēths ) An enveloping tubular structure, such as the tissue that encloses a muscle or nerve fiber. Show More
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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. Show More
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
