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

The building’s shiny, dark metal sheathing might have appeared sinister in any other environment, but not here, set against the sparkling white. —Cree Lefavour, New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2026

Winter weather can cause multiple issues with your hose and spigot, from frozen pipes to cracked sheathing. —Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 31 Dec. 2025

The carpenters may install a strip of adhesive tape over the top of the flashing securing it to the Zip sheathing. —Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2025

Senior Project Executive Brian Campbell said the color is a liquid air and vapor barrier that was painted on the five-inch-thick exterior sheathing that sits behind the metal panels, which are thin. —Sydney Franklin, The Enquirer, 29 July 2025

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