From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsheathsheath /ʃiːθ/ noun (plural sheaths) [countable] 1 COVERa cover for the blade of a knife or sword His sword was back in its sheath.2 British English old-fashionedSY a condom3 HBa protective covering that fits closely around something The wire is covered by an outer plastic sheath.4 a simple close-fitting dress She was wearing a plain black sheath.
Examples from the Corpus
sheath• The ceramics -- cables encased in a sheath of liquid nitrogen -- are being developed for power generation and other machinery applications.• Communications-grade fiber is measured two ways: fiber miles and sheath miles.• Here she wears number 72, a black silk crêpe hooded sheath dress and black satin shoes.• Gritting his teeth against the pain, he made a grab with his right hand and ripped the knife from its sheath.• Options include a knife sheath, or an additional pocket, a dimpled seat patch and a front convenience zip.• The immune system inexplicably begins attacking the protective sheaths surrounding nerves, damaging the nerves' ability to conduct impulses.• Rising hot water pulls with it a surrounding sheath of cold water, effectively insulating the base of the jet.• In essays on whisky-tasting, sheath knives, deer hunting, he has a kind of perfect pitch.Origin sheath Old English sceath 