sheathe
Americanverb (used with object)
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sheathes,
present (3rd person singular)
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sheathed,
past participle, past
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sheathing
present participle
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to put (a sword, dagger, etc.) into a sheath.
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to plunge (a sword, dagger, etc.) in something as if in a sheath.
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to enclose in or as if in a casing or covering.
-
to cover or provide with a protective layer or sheathing.
to sheathe a roof with copper.
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to cover (a cable, electrical connector, etc.) with a metal sheath for grounding.
verb
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to insert (a knife, sword, etc) into a sheath
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(esp of cats) to retract (the claws)
-
to surface with or encase in a sheath or sheathing
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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sheathesimple
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sheathessimple
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have sheathedperfect
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has sheathedperfect
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am sheathingprogressive
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are sheathingprogressive
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is sheathingprogressive
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have been sheathingperfect progressive
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has been sheathingperfect progressive
Past
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sheathedsimple
-
had sheathedperfect
-
was sheathingprogressive
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were sheathingprogressive
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had been sheathingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sheathe
1350–1400; Middle English shethen, derivative of sheath
Explanation
The verb sheathe means to place in a sheath. What's a sheath? Well, that's any kind of protective covering. With that extra "e" on the end sheathe gives off a very old English vibe. Perhaps that's because all those knights were often sheathing their swords so as not to scare the fair ladies. Those knights were also sheathed in armor when going into battle or setting off to joust. These days, with medieval armaments in low demand, not much gets sheathed — except maybe the kitchen knives in the knife block or your cat's claws when they retract.
Vocabulary lists containing sheathe
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Slaughterhouse-Five
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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:
You know those wool pockets that pro players sheathe over their golf clubs?
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026
Architect Daniel Huntington’s Hotel Piedmont even went so far as to use a large quantity of art tile from the Malibu Tile Company to sheathe the street-level facades.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 8, 2023
Most migraine researchers think that the pain of an attack is generated by increased firing of the trigeminal nerves, which carry sensory information from the face and the meninges that sheathe the brain.
From Nature ● Oct. 13, 2020
Others rely on a system that can sheathe a painting with a hard surface on command—useful both for security and to protect the art when residents are away.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2015
Jason wasn’t quite sure whether to sheathe his sword.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Priced at $12 for a pack of 30, the square sheathes are prized by comedian Rebel Wilson.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2019
In the master bedroom, it sheathes a wall floor to ceiling.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 18, 2017
It sheathes its titular patriarch with muscles and weighs him down with worldly worries.
From Slate ● Apr. 12, 2017
You are now more likely to see a bouquet laden with sheathes of grass, arching vines of clematis, Fritillaria bulbs and flowering purple basil than just a polite cluster of roses or calla lilies.
From New York Times ● Mar. 20, 2017
“Aquilla,” I call to her as she sheathes her scims.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Every bone, down to the last dire wolf rib, must be carefully sheathed in a custom foam shell.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
A black, polished sliding door delivers you into a reception room whose pomp is disciplined by marble piers, dark patinated-bronze framing panels, and—most memorably—walls sheathed in gold mosaic and red marble.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
"We strongly advise that you keep this tool concealed, sheathed, and out of sight in public places – preferably in a gardening bag or toolbox rather than on your belt," it added.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2025
Sergeant Ruiz and other officers tangled with Mr. Bonawitz, who is 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs nearly 300 pounds, before confiscating an eight-inch knife he had sheathed on his hip, prosecutors said.
From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2024
He sheathed the Valyrian dagger at his waist.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Some of the crucial work done at Bell Labs might now seem mundane: for example, how to fabricate sheathing so undersea cables wouldn’t be chewed through by Toredo worms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026
A graduate of music videos, Saxon — like the Gondrys and Jonzes before him — excels at sheathing his yarn in idiosyncratic humor, atmosphere and technique.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2025
Some of this metal was embedded into the mortar joints of the chimney, and the rest of the flashing was attached to the wooden roof sheathing.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 8, 2024
Was it because, while each character dresses conservatively, Flo’s wardrobe obliterates any trace of curves by sheathing her in a bulky apron?
From New York Times ● Dec. 28, 2023
‘What did I tell you, Mr. Pippin?’ said Sam, sheathing his sword.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
