sheathe

verb

ˈshēṯẖ 

variants or less commonly sheath

ˈshēth 

sheathed; sheathing

transitive verb

1

: to put into or furnish with a sheath

2

: to plunge or bury (a weapon, such as a sword) in flesh

3

: to withdraw (a claw) into a sheath

4

: to case or cover with something (such as sheets of metal) that protects

sheather

ˈshē-ṯẖər 

-thər

noun

Synonyms of sheathe

• clad
• clothe

Examples of sheathe in a Sentence

sometimes shipbuilders sheathe a ship's bottom with copper for extra protection from barnacles and other threats

Recent Examples on the Web

Roberts, according to the sheriff's office, was armed with a knife that was sheathed. —Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 18 June 2026

The walls that aren’t subject to preservation are sheathed in vast Claro walnut panels of a sinuous, almost figurative grain. —Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 June 2026

Keep your paltry pocket lighters sheathed, would-be saboteurs. —Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 21 Apr. 2026

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe sheathed the walls with it at his client’s Villa Tugendhat in Brno, now a UNESCO World Heritage site; in Paris, the interiors of the mid-19th-century Hôtel de la Païva are lavishly studded with yellow onyx. —Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English shethen, derivative of shethe sheath

Note: Middle English Dictionary cites Old English unscēaþian, but the source for this word is not established.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sheathe

• breathe
• seethe

Kids Definition

sheathe

verb

ˈshēt͟h 

sheathed; sheathing

1

: to put into a sheath

sheathe your sword

2

: to cover with something that protects

sheathe a ship's bottom with copper

sheather noun