Meanings
sheath1
plural sheaths
- businessThe insulating outer cover of an electrical cable.
- fashionA tight-fitting dress.
sheath2
present singular third person sheaths · participle present sheathing · participle past sheathed · past sheathed
- obsoleteObsolete spelling of sheathe.
And the poet lifts his pen While the soldier sheaths his sword.
1972, “Thick As A Brick”, Ian Anderson (lyrics), performed by Jethro Tull4 more examples
Nay, neuer beare me hence, diſpatch me heere: / Here ſheath thy Sword, Ile pardon thee my death: [...]
c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v], page 171, column 1Sheath your Dagger: / Be angry when you will, it ſhall haue ſcope: [...]
1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii], page 125, column 1So when the gen'rous Lyon has in ſight / His equal match, he rouſes for the fight; / But when his foe lyes proſtrate on the plain, / He ſheaths his paws, uncurls his angry mane; / And, plea'd with bloudleſs honours of the day, / Walks over, and diſdains th' inglorious Prey, [...]
1687, [John Dryden], “The Third Part”, in The Hind and the Panther. A Poem, in Three Parts, 2nd edition, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC, page 88At Sight of thee, the Villain ſheaths his Sword, / Nor ſcales the Wall, to ſteal the wealthy Hoard.
[1716], [John] Gay, “Book III. Of Walking the Streets by Night.”, in Trivia: Or, The Art of Walking the Streets of London, London: […] Bernard Lintott, […], →OCLC, page 53Antonyms: unsheath
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAnything that has a similar shape to a scabbard that is used to hold an object that is longer than it is wide.
nounA condom.
More synonyms by meaning
nounan enveloping structure or covering enclosing an animal or plant organ or part
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
sheath · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*skey-“to dissect, split”
- Proto-Germanic*skaiþiz“sheath; covering”
- Proto-West Germanic*skaiþiju
- Old Englishsċēaþ“sheath”
- Middle Englishsheth
- Englishsheath
From Middle English sheth, shethe (“holder for a sword, knife, etc., scabbard, sheath”) [and other forms], from Old English sċēaþ (“sheath”), from Proto-West Germanic *skaiþiju, from Proto-Germanic *skaiþiz (“sheath; covering”), from Proto-Indo-European *skey- (“to dissect, split”) (possibly from the notion of a split stick with a sword inserted). The English word is cognate with Danish skede, Dutch schede, Icelandic skeið, German Scheide, Low German scheed, Norwegian skjede.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek κέλυφος
- κέλυφος (kéluphos)long case
Catalan embolcall, folre
- embolcalllong case
- folretight-fitting dress
- beinaforeskin of certain animals
Chinese Mandarin 包皮
- 包皮 (bāopí)foreskin of certain animals
Dutch huls
- hulslong case
Esperanto ingo
- ingolong case
Finnish suojus, tuppi
- suojuslong case
- tuppilong case
- kotelomekkotight-fitting dress
- tuppiforeskin of certain animals
French étui, gaine
- étuilong case
- gainelong case
- gaineinsulating outer cover of an electrical cable
- fourreautight-fitting dress
- robe fourreautight-fitting dress
German Futteral, Hülle
- Futterallong case
- Hüllelong case
- Hülleinsulating outer cover of an electrical cable
- Mantelinsulating outer cover of an electrical cable
- Ummantelunginsulating outer cover of an electrical cable
- Umhüllunginsulating outer cover of an electrical cable
- Etuikleidtight-fitting dress
Hebrew נרתיק
- נרתיק (nartik)long case
Hungarian tok, Bergmann cső
- toklong case
- Bergmann csőinsulating outer cover of an electrical cable
- borításinsulating outer cover of an electrical cable
- burkolatinsulating outer cover of an electrical cable
- szigetelésinsulating outer cover of an electrical cable
- védőcsőinsulating outer cover of an electrical cable
Italian guaina, prepuzio
- guainalong case
- prepuzioforeskin of certain animals
Korean 피복
- 피복 (pibok)insulating outer cover of an electrical cable
Latin vāgīna
- vāgīnalong case
Latvian maksts, futrālis
- makstslong case
- futrālislong case
Polish pochwa, puzdro
- pochwalong case
- puzdroforeskin of certain animals
Portuguese revestimento, prepúcio
- revestimentolong case
- prepúcioforeskin of certain animals
Russian футля́р
- футля́р (futljár)long case
Spanish envoltura, cubierta exterior
- envolturalong case
- cubierta exteriorinsulating outer cover of an electrical cable
- envoltura exteriorinsulating outer cover of an electrical cable
- funda exteriorinsulating outer cover of an electrical cable
- vaina externainsulating outer cover of an electrical cable
Swedish fodral, hölje
- fodrallong case
- höljeinsulating outer cover of an electrical cable
- fodraltight-fitting dress
- fodralklänningtight-fitting dress
Vietnamese vỏ
- vỏlong case
Yiddish שייד
- שייד (sheyd)long case
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with sheath
Cite this entry
sheath. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sheath
“sheath.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sheath. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sheath,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sheath.
Source: sheath on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.