sheathing

noun

sheath·​ing ˈshē-t͟hiŋ 

-thiŋ

1

: the action of one that sheathes something

2

: material used to sheathe something

especially : the first covering of boards or of waterproof material on the outside wall of a frame house or on a timber roof

Examples of sheathing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rain and snow melt had been seeping under the metal flashing and onto the wood sheathing, which consequently rotted. —Marcela Valdes, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025

Just enough remained to identify the vessel: crumpled copper sheathing from the period; iron ballast blocks that were mentioned in the manifest; and, most crucially, timber from a tropical hardwood that grew in Mozambique. —Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025

Could Beijing could be persuaded to reduce superpower tensions, especially over Taiwan, and to address long-standing U.S. trade concerns, in return for a reduction in the tariffs imposed during Mr. Trump’s first term and the sheathing of his threat to hike them further? —Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Jan. 2025

Strengthen roof sheathing connections: When reroofing, increase your roof deck attachment strength by having the roofer re-nail, add nails, and/or upgrade the nails to ring shank nails as appropriate to meet current code requirements for high-wind areas. —Kelly Puente, The Tennessean, 18 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sheathing

• breathing
• teething
• bequeathing
• rebreathing

Kids Definition

sheathing

noun

sheath·​ing ˈshē-t͟hiŋ 

-thiŋ

: material used to sheathe something

especially : the first covering of boards or of waterproof material on the outside wall of a frame house or on a timber roof