sheathe
SaySHEETH/ʃið/UK/ʃiːð/
Formssheathes, sheathing, sheathed
- 1To put a knife or sword into the cover made to hold it.
The soldier sheathed his sword and walked away.
Always sheathe your knife before you put it in your bag.
Oppositeunsheathe
Note
- 2
- 3
- 4To push something sharp, like a sword, claw, or tusk, into something.
In the old story, the hero swears to sheathe his sword in the monster's heart.
And nuzzling in his flank, the loving swine / Sheathed unaware the tusk in his soft groin.
1593, [William Shakespeare], Venus and AdonisHere, Sheathed means pushed in, so the boar drove its tusk into him.Note
- 5To give a sword or knife its own cover to be kept in.
Note
- 6To give up an angry or unfriendly feeling.
The two teams agreed to sheathe their anger and shake hands.
At last she sheathed her temper and said she was sorry.
Note
- 7In old medicine, to make a strong drug or poison less harsh or painful.
The doctor gave him milk to sheathe the sting of the strong medicine.
He concludes this Diſſertation, by endeavouring to explain the Manner of its [olive oil's] operating, which he attributes to its fat inviſcating Nature, whereby it ſheathes the Spicula of the Poiſon.
1738, C. Mortimer, “VI. An Abstract by C. Mortimer, M.D. Secr[etary of the] R[oyal] S[ociety] of an Inaugural Dissertation Published at…Here, sheathes means softens the harmful effect, so the oil eases the poison.Note
Practice
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Origin
From Middle English shethen, "to put a sword or knife into a sheath". It is linked to the old word for a sheath.