sheath

[ sheeth ]

/ ʃiθ /

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See synonyms for: sheath / sheathed / sheathing on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural sheaths

[sheethz]. /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.

verb (used with object)

to sheathe.

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Origin of sheath

before 950; Middle English s(c)heth(e), Old English scēath; cognate with German Scheide;see shed²

OTHER WORDS FROM sheath

sheathless, adjectivesheathlike, sheathy, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sheath

sheath , sheathe

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sheath in a sentence

Along with a convenient carrying case that acts like a sheath, it comes with a removable cap and can double as a spare stake for your tent or a spear tip for fishing.
The best trowels for your on the go needs|PopSci Commerce Team|January 20, 2021|Popular-Science
The autopsy found injuries, including skull fractures and optic nerve sheaths that were torn.
This D.C. baby’s mother was charged with her death. But nothing is solved.|Petula Dvorak|December 10, 2020|Washington Post
Just like the clip on a pocketknife, that sheath should be considered the primary determining factor in your purchase.
Three Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Knife|Wes Siler|September 3, 2020|Outside Online
If you want to carry a backpack with a hipbelt while wearing a knife on your belt, you’ll need a sheath that drops the pommel below your belt.
Three Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Knife|Wes Siler|September 3, 2020|Outside Online

If you plan to carry a fixed-blade knife on your belt, you’ll want a sheath that positions the pommel at or below the top of your belt.
Three Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Knife|Wes Siler|September 3, 2020|Outside Online
Many gyms are in conspicuous downtown locations and sheathed in clear glass so passersby can watch people working out.
Downsize Fitness, the Gym for Overweight Members Only|Daniel Gross|October 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Lyall provided the supporting structure, employing quarter-inch nylon boning sheathed in muslin to facilitate sewing.
Big Bird’s Big Gay Love Story: From Birth to the 2012 Presidential Race|Michael Daly|October 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Despite the anguish, his life was sheathed in mother love, family love, and survived and did more than that.
Best of the Memorial Service|The Daily Beast|July 7, 2009|DAILY BEAST
"An incompetent populist," was the most sheathed answer I heard.
The Right-Wing Primal Scream|John Batchelor|October 24, 2008|DAILY BEAST
The cables are wrapped in cotton duck soaked in oxidized oil and varnish, and are sheathed in sheet iron.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
His long sword, sheathed in wood, named by him the "Sweetheart of the Faith," hung from his leathern shoulder belt.
The Pilgrim's Shell or Fergan the Quarryman|Eugne Sue
The posts were sheathed with marble elaborately carved, as in the example from Pompeii, shown in Fig. 68.
The Private Life of the Romans|Harold Whetstone Johnston
Winfree ducked, found one of the dress sabers ignominiously sheathed in snow, and drew it out.
The Great Potlatch Riots|Allen Kim Lang
With his usual contemptuous air he regarded the young Indian, who was unarmed, save for the sheathed hunting knife.
Menotah|Ernest G. Henham

British Dictionary definitions for sheath

sheath

/ (ʃiːθ) /

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

verb

(tr) another word for sheathe

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