# sheath

Pronunciation: say "SHEETH" US /ʃiθ/, UK /ʃiːθ/

## Noun

1. A case for holding a sword; a scabbard.
   - Simple: A cover that a sword goes into when someone carries it.
   - _She drew the blade from its sheath in a single smooth motion._
   - _The museum displays the general's saber in its original brass sheath._
2. Any case or covering shaped like a scabbard that holds an object longer than it is wide.
   - Simple: A long, thin cover that holds a knife, a tool or some other long object.
   - _The axe ships with a nylon sheath that snaps over the blade._
   - _Before each use, the technician slides the probe into a sterile sheath._
3. A dress that fits closely to the body.
   - Simple: A dress that fits tightly to the body.
   - _For the gala she wore a silk sheath that skimmed her figure._
   - _The designer's spring collection featured sleeveless sheaths in bright colors._
4. The outer layer of insulation that encloses and protects an electrical cable.
   - Simple: The outer cover of an electric cable that keeps the electricity safely inside.
   - _Strip about an inch of the sheath before connecting the wires to the terminal._
   - _Years of sunlight had left the cable's outer sheath brittle and split._
5. In botany, the base of a leaf where it wraps around or encloses a stem or branch, as in grasses.
   - Simple: The bottom part of a leaf that wraps around the stem, as in grass.
   - _Peeling back the sheath of a grass leaf reveals the jointed stem underneath._
   - _The botanist noted that the sheath was hairy where it met the blade._
6. A condom. *(colloquial, British)*
   - Simple: A condom, the thin cover worn on the penis during sex.
   - _The family-planning nurse explained how to put on a sheath correctly._
   - _He nipped into the chemist's for a packet of sheaths._
7. The foreskin of certain animals, such as dogs and horses.
   - Simple: The fold of skin that covers the penis of some male animals, like dogs and horses.
   - _Geldings often need their sheaths cleaned to remove built-up dirt and wax._
   - _A swollen sheath in a dog can be a sign of infection._
8. One of the elytra of an insect: the hardened front wings that cover the hind wings, as in beetles.
   - Simple: One of the hard outer wings that cover the back of a beetle or similar insect.
   - _The beetle raised both sheaths and unfolded the delicate wings beneath._
   - _Each sheath of the jewel beetle shimmers green and gold._

## Verb

Pronunciation: say "SHEETH" US /ʃið/, UK /ʃiːð/

9. Alternative spelling of sheathe. Less common than sheathe, the standard spelling. *(rare)* — Alternative spelling of sheathe.
   - Simple: Alternative spelling of sheathe. Most writers use sheathe, which means to put a blade back in its cover.
   - _Sheath the blade before you hand the knife to anyone._
   - _A calm cat will sheath its claws when you stroke it._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–8** — From Middle English shethe ("scabbard, sheath"), from Old English sċēaþ ("sheath"), from Proto-Germanic *skaiþiz ("sheath; covering"), from Proto-Indo-European *skey- ("to dissect, split"), possibly from the notion of a split stick with a sword inserted. It is cognate with Dutch schede and German Scheide.
**Meaning 9** — A variant of sheathe.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/sheath (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).