# sheathe

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

## Verb

1. To slide something, such as a knife or sword, into its sheath.
   - Simple: To put a knife or sword into the cover made to hold it.
   - _The knight wiped the blade clean and sheathed it at his side._
   - _Hunters learn to sheathe a knife the moment they finish using it._
2. To enclose something within a protective outer covering.
   - Simple: To cover something with a layer that keeps it safe.
   - _Engineers sheathe the steel beams in concrete to protect them from fire._
   - _She sheathed her legs in thick wool tights before heading out into the snow._
3. Of an animal, to draw a body part back into the body, as a cat draws its claws into its paws.
   - Simple: Of an animal, to pull a body part back in, like a cat pulling in its claws.
   - _Cats sheathe their claws when relaxed and extend them to climb or fight._
   - _The lioness sheathed her claws once the cubs stopped squabbling._

## Verb

4. To thrust a sharp object, such as a sword, claw or tusk, into something. *(dated)*
   - Simple: To push something sharp, like a sword, claw, or tusk, into something.
   - _The ballad ends with the knight vowing to sheathe his blade in his rival's breast._
   - _The boar wheeled and sheathed its tusk in the hound's flank._
5. To provide a sword or similar blade with a sheath. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To give a sword or knife its own cover to be kept in.
6. To give up or put an end to a hostile feeling, such as anger or animosity. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To give up an angry or unfriendly feeling.
   - _The mayor urged both camps to sheathe their animosity until the flood was over._
   - _After years of feuding, the brothers sheathed their hostility for their mother's sake._
7. In older medicine, to relieve the harsh or painful effect of a drug, poison or similar substance. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: In old medicine, to make a strong drug or poison less harsh or painful.
   - _The apothecary added a slippery syrup to sheathe the burning effect of the purge._
   - _A spoonful of almond oil sheathes the harshness of the drug, the physician explained._

## Origin

From late Middle English shethen ("to put a sword or knife into a sheath"), probably from an Old English *scēaþian, or possibly formed from Middle English sheth, shethe ("scabbard, sheath") + the verb ending -en. Sheth(e) comes from Old English sċēaþ ("sheath"), from Proto-Germanic *skaiþiz ("sheath; covering"), from Proto-Indo-European *skey- ("to dissect, split"), possibly from the idea of a split stick with a sword inside.

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