Join free

sheathe

English · Thesaurus

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

sheathe

  • /ʃiːð/ UK
  • /ʃið/ US
  • /ʃiːv/

Sounds like sheave (th-fronting) · Rhymes with -iːð, -iːv

Where it comes from

From Late Middle English shethen (“to put (a sword or knife) into a sheath, sheathe; to provide with a sheath; (figuratively) to have sexual intercourse”) [and other forms], then:

* probably from Old English *scēaþian; or

* possibly from Middle English sheth, shethe (“holder for a sword, knife, etc., scabbard, sheath”) [and other forms] + -en (suffix forming the infinitive of verbs). Sheth(e) is derived from Old English sċēaþ (“sheath”), from Proto-West Germanic *skaiþiju, 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).

verb sheathes · sheathing · sheathed · sheathe

  1. transitive To put (something such as a knife or sword) into a sheath. Sheath your Dagger: / Be angry when you will, it ſhall haue ſcope: […]

    Opposite: unsheathe

  2. transitive To encase (something) with a protective covering. A chearful heart does good like a medicine, but envy corrodes like a poiſon; it is ſo ſharp, that it cuts the body which ſheathes it.

    Opposite: unsheathe

  3. transitive Of an animal: to draw back or retract (a body part) into the body, such as claws into a paw. So when the gen'rous Lyon has in ſight / His equal match, he rouſes for the fight; / But when his foe lyes proſtrate on the plain, / He ſheaths his paws, uncurls his angry mane; / And, plea'd with bloudleſs honours of the day, / Walks over, and diſdains th' inglorious Prey, […]

    Opposite: unsheathe

  4. dated, figuratively, literary, poetic, transitive To thrust (a sharp object like a sword, a claw, or a tusk) into something. And nuzzling in his flank, the loving swine / Sheathed unaware the tusk in his soft groin.
  5. figuratively, obsolete, rare, transitive To abandon or cease (animosity, etc.) Let him die, but firſt ſheth your impatience, throw cold water on your collor, […]
  6. obsolete, transitive To provide (a sword, etc.) with a sheath. Nathaniels coate ſir was not fully made, / And Gabrels pumpes were all vnpinkt i'th heele: / There was no Linke to colour Peters hat, / And Walters dagger was not come from ſheathing: […]
  7. obsolete, transitive To relieve the harsh or painful effect of (a drug, a poison, etc.). [page 540] Theſe ſmooth and oily Med'cines act by ſheathing acrimonious Salts in the Blood, and preventing Inconveniences from 'em; and by relaxing the Fibres, and hence widening 'em. […] [page 541] [They] are convenient in Coughs, from thin and ſharp Rheums, becauſe they ſheathe the Salts that gall

Translations

Every language

verb to put (something) into a sheath

Españolenvainar
日本語鞘に入れる saya ni ireru, 鞘に収める saya ni osameru
Portuguêsabainhar, embainhar
Françaisengainer, rengainer
Deutschin die Scheide stecken, ummanteln
Italianoinguainare, rinfoderare
Русскийкласть в футляр klastʹ v futljar, пря́тать в но́жны prjátatʹ v nóžny, вкла́дывать в но́жны vkládyvatʹ v nóžny

verb to encase (something) with a protective covering

Françaisengainer
Русскийобши́ть obšítʹ, обшива́ть obšivátʹ

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"sheathe." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/sheathe. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

sheathe. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/sheathe

Chicago

"sheathe." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/sheathe.

BibTeX
@misc{sheathe_2026,
  title = {sheathe},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/sheathe},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}