Sheath
/ʃiːθ/noun
A covering or case for a blade, tool, or similar object; also a close-fitting protective covering.
Did you know?English *sheath* is historically tied to the same Old English word that gave us *shear* and *shears*, because the root originally meant something like a cut or slice, not just a cover.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sker-
“to cut, to separate”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skaiþą
“a sheath, case, covering”
Old English
English
scēath
“a sheath, scabbard; a covering”
Middle English
English
shethe
“a sheath or scabbard”
Modern English
English
sheath
“a covering or case for a blade or similar object”