sheath

noun \ ˈshēth \

Definition of sheath

plural sheaths play \ˈshēt͟hz, ˈshēths\

1 :a case for a blade (as of a knife)

2 :an investing cover or case of a plant or animal body or body part: such as

a :the tubular fold of skin into which the penis of many mammals is retracted

b (1) :the lower part of a leaf when surrounding the stem

(2) :an ensheathing spathe

3 :any of various covering or supporting structures that resemble in appearance or function the sheath of a blade: such as

a :sheathing 2

b :a woman's close-fitting dress that is usually worn without a belt

c British :condom 1

See sheath defined for English-language learners

See sheath defined for kids

Examples of sheath in a Sentence

the sheath of a sword
a piece of wire covered with a plastic sheath

Recent Examples of sheath from the Web

Some patients with diabetes have received pig pancreas cells, hidden in a sort of sheath so the immune system will not reject them.

— gina kolata, The Seattle Times, "Gene editing spurs hope for transplanting pig organs into humans," 10 Aug. 2017
Some patients with diabetes have received pig pancreas cells, hidden in a sort of sheath so the immune system will not reject them.

— gina kolata, New York Times, "Gene Editing Spurs Hope for Transplanting Pig Organs Into Humans," 10 Aug. 2017
Inside, several plastic sheaths hold the belongings of migrants whose remains were found in the Sonoran desert: a toothbrush; a Mexican ID; a belt buckle; shoelaces; a braided rosary chain; eyeglasses; 60 pesos.

— benjamin preston, Fortune, "A 9-Day Journey Along the Most Controversial Strip of Land in Trump’s America," 24 July 2017
Anyone who wants to dress up a black sheath dress, a white button-up, or a floral romper.

— elizabeth wellington, Philly.com, "Owls are at the hoot of fashion," 21 July 2017
A bright red poppy motif sheath was followed with a sienna coat with purple fur blooms.

— thomas adamson, The Seattle Times, "Fendi stuns with Jenner and Hadid fur show to cap couture," 5 July 2017
One large sheath of muscle that runs from your sternum to the bottom of your pelvis, the rectus abdominis sits atop the rest of your core muscles and directly below your skin, making it the most visible muscle to make up your middle, McCall says.

— k. aleisha fetters, SELF, "Why It’s So Hard to Work Your Lower Abs," 4 July 2017
Police said the object was later determined to be an empty knife sheath, though a knife was found inside Addison's car.

— jennifer johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Park Ridge police: Woman struck car, signs, fire hydrant and more while driving drunk," 28 June 2017
In August 1999, W developed symptoms of MS, an autoimmune attack on the protective sheath covering nerves.

— gretchen vogel, Science | AAAS, "Decision by Europe’s top court alarms vaccine experts," 27 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sheath.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sheath

Middle English shethe, from Old English scēath; akin to Old High German sceida sheath and perhaps to Latin scindere to split — more at shed

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

sheath Synonyms

Synonyms

armor, capsule, casing, cocoon, cover, covering, encasement, housing, hull, husk, jacket, pod, ¹case, shell

Related Words

cartridge, cassette (also casette); bark, crust; carapace, house, mail, panoply, plate, plating, shield; cuticle, hide, skin; envelope, package, wrapper; backing, coating, coverture, facing

Other Clothing Terms

babushka, brogue, bumbershoot, cravat, dishabille, furbelow, layette, raiment, spectator

SHEATH Defined for English Language Learners

sheath

noun

Definition of sheath for English Language Learners

: a cover for the blade of a knife, sword, etc.
: a protective covering
: a close-fitting dress that does not usually have a belt

SHEATH Defined for Kids

sheath

noun \ ˈshēth \

Definition of sheath for Students

plural sheaths \ˈshēt͟hz\

1 :a case for a blade (as of a knife)

2 :a covering that surrounds and usually protects something

Medical Dictionary

sheath

noun \ ˈshēth \

medical Definition of sheath

plural sheaths play \ˈshēt͟hz, ˈshēths\

1 :an investing cover or case of a plant or animal body or body part: as

a :the tubular fold of skin into which the penis of many mammals is retracted

b :the connective tissue of an organ or part that binds together its component elements and holds it in place

2 :condom 1

—

sheathed

adjective

Learn More about sheath

See words that rhyme with sheath Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sheath Spanish Central: Translation of sheath Nglish: Translation of sheath for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sheath for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sheath

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Examples of sheath in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of sheath

sheath Synonyms

Synonyms

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Other Clothing Terms

SHEATH Defined for English Language Learners

sheath

Definition of sheath for English Language Learners

SHEATH Defined for Kids

sheath

Definition of sheath for Students

Medical Dictionary

sheath

medical Definition of sheath

sheathed

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