sheath

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈʃiːθ/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ʃiθ/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(shēth)

Inflections of 'sheath' (n): npl: sheaths

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
sheath /ʃiθ/USA pronunciation   n. [countable], pl. sheaths 
    /ʃiðz/USA pronunciation .
  1. a close-fitting covering, esp. for the blade of a sword or dagger:He put his knife back in its sheath.
  2. Biologya closely enveloping part in an animal or plant.
  3. a close-fitting garment with a straight shape.
  4. a condom.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
sheath  (shēth),USA pronunciation n., pl. sheaths (shēᵺz),USA pronunciation v. 
n. 
  1. a case or covering for the blade of a sword, dagger, or the like.
  2. any similar close-fitting covering or case.
  3. a condom.
  4. Biologya closely enveloping part or structure, as in an animal or plant.
  5. Botanythe leaf base when it forms a vertical coating surrounding the stem.
  6. a close-fitting dress, skirt, or coat, esp. an unbelted dress with a straight drape.
  7. Electricitythe metal covering of a cable.
  8. 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.

v.t. 
  1. to sheathe.
  • bef. 950; Middle English s(c)heth(e), Old English scēath; cognate with German Scheide; see shed2
sheath′less, adj. 
sheath′like′, sheath′y, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
sheath /ʃiːθ/ n ( pl sheaths /ʃiːðz/)
  1. a case or covering for the blade of a knife, sword, etc
  2. any similar close-fitting case
  3. an enclosing or protective structure, such as a leaf base encasing the stem of a plant
  4. the protective covering on an electric cable
  5. a figure-hugging dress with a narrow tapering skirt
  6. another name for condom
 vb
  1. (transitive)
    another word for sheathe
Etymology: Old English scēath; related to Old Norse skeithir, Old High German sceida a dividing; compare Old English scādan to divide
'sheath' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
aglet - auricle - beak - bill - case - coleopteran - coleus - elytron - evaginate - fur - ganglion - holster - invaginate - multiple sclerosis - myelin - neurolemma - optical fibre - pinfeather - put up - sarong - scabbard - scalp - sclerosis - shard - sheatfish - sheathe - sheath knife - shed - unsheathe - vagina - vaginate - vaginectomy - vanilla - zarf - boondoggle - booted - bowie knife - case knife - Coleoptera - coleoptile - coleorhiza - condom - cot - demyelinate - ensheathe - envelop - epimysium - epineurium - extravaginal - fascia
Collocations: the [knife's, sword's] sheath, [pulled, took] the [knife] out of its sheath, put the [knife] back in [the, its] sheath, more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "sheath" in the title:


Look up "sheath" at Merriam-Webster
Look up "sheath" at dictionary.com
  • Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks.

In other languages: Spanish | French | Italian | Portuguese | Romanian | German | Dutch | Swedish | Russian | Polish | Czech | Greek | Turkish | Chinese | Japanese | Korean | Arabic

Advertisements
Advertisements
Report an inappropriate ad.
WordReference.com
WORD OF THE DAY
GET THE DAILY EMAIL!

Become a WordReference Supporter to view the site ad-free.