sheath
sheath Lexical Profile
sheath Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A close-fitting protective cover for the blade of a knife, tool, or similar sharp implement.
"The carpenter slid his chisel back into its leather sheath after finishing the woodwork."
An enclosing tubular structure or protective membrane in a plant or animal, such as the tissue surrounding a nerve fiber or the base of a grass leaf.
"The myelin sheath insulates nerve fibers and allows electrical impulses to transmit rapidly."
A close-fitting, straight-cut dress without a waist seam that contours closely to the body.
"She wore a classic black sheath to the evening reception."
• verb
To encase or enclose something in a protective covering or layer (a less common variant of 'sheathe').
"The underwater cables are sheathed in heavy-duty rubber to prevent corrosion."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Sheath' (ending with a voiceless 'th' sound) is primarily the noun meaning a protective case, whereas 'sheathe' (spelled with a final 'e' and pronounced with a voiced 'th' sound) is the standard verb form meaning to put into a sheath or encase.
• Rhymes for sheath
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'scēath', from Proto-Germanic '*skaithō', originally referring to a split piece of wood used as a blade cover, related to the root meaning 'to split or divide'.