different between sheathe vs conceal

English

Etymology

From Late Middle English shethen (“to put (a sword or knife) into a sheath, sheathe; to provide with a sheath; (figuratively) to have sexual intercourse”) [and other forms], then:

• probably from Old English *sc?aþian; or
• possibly from Middle English sheth, shethe (“holder for a sword, knife, etc., scabbard, sheath”) [and other forms] + -en (suffix forming the infinitive of verbs). Sheth(e) is derived from Old English s??aþ (“sheath”), 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).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: sh?th, IPA^(key): /?i?ð/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?ið/
• Rhymes: -i?ð

Verb

sheathe (third-person singular simple present sheathes, present participle sheathing, simple past and past participle sheathed)

1. (transitive) To put (something such as a knife or sword) into a sheath.

   Antonym: unsheathe
2. (transitive) To encase (something) with a protective covering.

   Antonym: unsheathe

   • 1975, Saul Bellow, Humboldt's Gift [Avon ed., 1976, p. 232]:

     But he could never come up with enough enchantment or dream material to sheathe himself in. It would not cover.

3. (transitive) Of an animal: to draw back or retract (a body part) into the body, such as claws into a paw.

   Antonym: unsheathe
4. (transitive, dated or literary, poetic, figuratively) To thrust (a sharp object like a sword, a claw, or a tusk) into something.
5. (transitive, obsolete or rare, figuratively) To abandon or cease (animosity, etc.)
6. (transitive, obsolete) To provide (a sword, etc.) with a sheath.
7. (transitive, medicine, obsolete) To relieve the harsh or painful effect of (a drug, a poison, etc.).

Conjugation

Alternative forms

• sheath

Derived terms

Translations

References

English

Etymology

From Middle English concelen, from Old French conceler (“hide, disguise”), from Latin concel?re, infinitive of concel? (“carefully disguise”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /k?n?si?l/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /k?n?sil/
• Rhymes: -i?l
• Hyphenation: con?ceal

Verb

conceal (third-person singular simple present conceals, present participle concealing, simple past and past participle concealed)

1. (transitive) To hide something from view or from public knowledge, to try to keep something secret.

   • Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers, of errand not wholly obvious to their fellows, yet of such sort as to call into query alike the nature of their errand and their own relations. It is easily earned repetition to state that Josephine St. Auban's was a presence not to be concealed.

Synonyms

• hide
• obfuscate
• secrete

Antonyms

• reveal
• uncover
• admit

Related terms

• concealing, concealed
• concealer
• concealment

Translations