sheathing

American  

[shee-thing] / ˈʃi ðɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person who sheathes.

2. something that sheathes; a covering or outer layer of metal, wood, or other material, as one of metal plates on a ship's bottom, the first covering of boards on a house, etc.

3. material for forming any such covering.

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sheathing British  

/ ˈʃiːðɪŋ /

noun

1. any material used as an outer layer, as on a ship's hull

2. boarding, etc, used to cover the wall studding or roof joists of a timber frame

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Other Word Forms

• undersheathing noun

Etymology

Origin of sheathing

First recorded in 1490–1500; sheathe + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Some of the crucial work done at Bell Labs might now seem mundane: for example, how to fabricate sheathing so undersea cables wouldn’t be chewed through by Toredo worms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

A graduate of music videos, Saxon — like the Gondrys and Jonzes before him — excels at sheathing his yarn in idiosyncratic humor, atmosphere and technique.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2025

Was it because, while each character dresses conservatively, Flo’s wardrobe obliterates any trace of curves by sheathing her in a bulky apron?

From New York Times • Dec. 28, 2023

Air infiltration can vary wildly, but modern construction methods, where a tape is applied over the seams of the exterior sheathing as well as around all windows and doors, keeps it to a minimum.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 6, 2023

When they came upon the iron bars and the distinctive copper sheathing that was also mentioned in the documents they had studied, they knew they had found the São José.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• bark
• coating
• crust
• fur
• husk
• jacket
• membrane
• rind
• sheath
• surface