sheath

English

/ʃiːθ/, /ʃiθ/, /ʃiːð/, /ʃið/

noun
Definitions
  • A holster for a sword; a scabbard.
  • (by extension) Anything that has a similar shape to a scabbard that is used to hold an object that is longer than it is wide.
  • (botany) The base of a leaf when sheathing or investing a branch or stem, as in grasses.
  • (electrical engineering) The insulating outer cover of an electrical cable.
  • (entomology) One of the elytra of an insect.
  • (fashion) A tight-fitting dress.
  • (zoology) The foreskin of certain animals (for example, dogs and horses).
  • (British) A condom.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English sheth inherited from Old English sċēaþ (sheath) inherited from Proto-Germanic *skaiþiz (covering, sheath) derived from Proto-Indo-European *skey- (split, cut, dissect, separate, distinguish, divide, part, shatter), *skey- (split, cut, dissect, separate, distinguish, divide, part, shatter).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*skey-

Gloss

split, cut, dissect, separate, distinguish, divide, part, shatter

Concept
Semantic Field

Basic actions and technology

Ontological Category

Action/Process

Kanji

分

Emoji
🪓

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms