Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

ensconce

[en-skons]

Example Sentences Origin

verb (used with object), en·sconced, en·sconc·ing.

to settle securely or snugly: I found her in the library, ensconced in an armchair.

to cover or shelter; hide securely: He ensconced himself in the closet in order to eavesdrop.

Origin:
1580–90; en-¹ + sconce²

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To ensconce

00:10

00:09

00:08

00:07

00:06

00:05

00:04

00:03

00:02

00:01

Ensconce is one of our favorite verbs.

So is peculate. Does it mean:

to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.

to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle.

LEARN MORE FUN, UNUSUAL VERBS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Example Sentences

Armed barbarians guard the wire fences that ensconce the town, while the residents must contend with abusive draconian laws.

The brownstones that ensconce them are richly red with streaks of city soot.

Ensconce yourself in traditional moral practice, but champion piecemeal modernization.

Collins

World English Dictionary

ensconce (ɪnˈskɒns)

—vb
1.	to establish or settle firmly or comfortably: ensconced in a chair
2.	to place in safety; hide

[C16: see en-¹, sconce²]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

ensconce

1580s, "to cover with a fort," from en- "make, put in" + sconce "small fortification, shelter," probably from Du. schans "earthwork." Related: Ensconced.

Word Dynamo Rating For Ensconce

People who can define Ensconce may know 6,112 words.

How many words do you know?

Upgrade to Ad-free Premium Membership!

Related Words

entrench

nestle

Quote Of The Day

"Good writing is always a breaking of the soil, clearing away prejudices, pulling up of sour weeds of crooked thinking, stripping the turf so as to get at what is fertile beneath. It would be amusing to carry the simile further. Those bulbs that flower in the sand and wither! The gay fiction annual that has to be planted again every year! Those experimental plants from Russia, France, and Greenwich Village that are always getting winter killed—confound 'em!—is it worth while planting them again? The stocky perennial that keeps coming up and coming up—so easy to grow and so ugly. Scarlet sage that gives a touch of fiery sin to the edge of the suburbanite's concrete walk! And then the good flowers—as honest as they are beautiful! The well-ordered gar den! The climbing rose that escapes and is the most beautiful of all!"

-Henry Seidel Canby

Partners:Word Bloglines Citysearch The Daily Beast Ask Answers Ask Kids Life123 Sendori Thesaurus

About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help