sheath

[ sheeth ]
See synonyms for: sheathsheathedsheathing on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural sheaths [sheethz]. /ʃiðz/.
  1. a case or covering for the blade of a sword, dagger, or the like.

  2. any similar close-fitting covering or case.

  1. a condom.

  2. Biology. a closely enveloping part or structure, as in an animal or plant.

  3. Botany. the leaf base when it forms a vertical coating surrounding the stem.

  4. a close-fitting dress, skirt, or coat, especially an unbelted dress with a straight drape.

  5. Electricity. the metal covering of a cable.

  6. Electronics.

    • the metal wall of a wave guide.

    • a space charge formed by ions near an electrode in a tube containing low-pressure gas.

    • the region of a space charge in a cathode-ray tube.

verb (used with object)
  1. to sheathe.

Origin of sheath

1
before 950; Middle English s(c)heth(e), Old English scēath; cognate with German Scheide;see shed2

Other words from sheath

  • sheathless, adjective
  • sheathlike, sheathy, adjective

Words that may be confused with sheath

Words Nearby sheath

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sheath in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sheath

sheath

/ (ʃiːθ) /


nounplural sheaths (ʃiːðz)
  1. a case or covering for the blade of a knife, sword, etc

  2. any similar close-fitting case

  1. biology an enclosing or protective structure, such as a leaf base encasing the stem of a plant

  2. the protective covering on an electric cable

  3. a figure-hugging dress with a narrow tapering skirt

  4. another name for condom

verb
  1. (tr) another word for sheathe

Origin of sheath

1
Old English scēath; related to Old Norse skeithir, Old High German sceida a dividing; compare Old English scādan to divide

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for sheath

sheath

[ shēth ]


  1. An enveloping tubular structure, such as the base of a grass leaf that surrounds the stem or the tissue that encloses a muscle or nerve fiber.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.