ensconce

verb

en·​sconce in-ˈskän(t)s 

ensconced; ensconcing

transitive verb

1

: shelter, conceal

… ensconced themselves within the protection of three great elms …

—Mark Twain

2

: establish, settle

ensconced in a new job

Did you know?

You might think of a sconce (the word that when combined with the prefix en- forms ensconce) as a type of candleholder or lamp, but the word can also refer to a defensive fortification, usually one made of earth. Originally, then, a person who was ensconced was enclosed in or concealed by such a structure, out of harm's way. One of the earliest writers to apply the verb ensconce with the general sense of "hide" was William Shakespeare. In The Merry Wives of Windsor the character Falstaff, hoping to avoid detection when he is surprised during an amorous moment with Mrs. Ford, says "She shall not see me; I will ensconce me behind the arras."

Synonyms of ensconce

• nestle
• lodge
• perch
• position
• settle
• park

Examples of ensconce in a Sentence

The sculpture is safely ensconced behind glass.

He ensconced himself in front of the television.

Recent Examples on the Web

With some 2,000 tomes ensconced in the Library, passengers can spend hours in a cozy corner. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026

At Pace, some are ensconced in the walls or cantilevered à la Donald Judd, while others stand atop steel bases. — Grace Edquist, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2026

Barbara Hutton, née Woolworth and heiress to the Woolworth fortune, is still ensconced in her first-floor suite, packing and unpacking, unsure whether to stay or to go. — Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026

Neither of them lives full-time in New York anymore; Kessler spends much of his time in Barcelona, and Banks is pleasantly ensconced in Berlin with his wife and two young children. — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

en- entry 1 + sconce entry 2

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ensconce

• naissance
• response
• bons
• hans
• launce
• nonce
• sconce
• nonchalance
• nonresponse
• renaissance

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Kids Definition

ensconce

verb

en·​sconce in-ˈskän(t)s 

ensconced; ensconcing

1

: to place or hide securely : conceal

ensconced myself behind a tree

2

: to establish comfortably : settle snugly

ensconced in a new house