• ensconce •
Printable Version Pronunciation: en-skahns • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Verb, transitive
Meaning: 1. To set up in a prominent, fixed place, as to ensconce yourself on the coffee table so everyone can see you. 2. To conceal something in a safe, secrete place.
Notes: This word has the usual family members, such as ensconcing the noun and adjective. However, they are rarely used. The past participle, ensconced is used almost like an adjective. Just remember, it begins with an [e] and uses a [c] after the [s]—not a [k].
In Play: Here in the holiday season we are more likely than usual to ensconce things: "Hillary ensconced the angel she had inherited from her grandmother on the peak of the Christmas tree after all the other decorations were on." Be sure your kids are asleep before you go to bed on Christmas eve: "Unbeknownst to his parents, Little Woody Dewett ensconced himself behind the draperies in the living room on Christmas Eve to wait out Santa Claus." Let's hope he falls asleep before his parents come down.
Word History: It seems unlikely that this good word is related to the sconce that now refers to a wall lamp since the semantic connection with this type of sconce seems feeble. In fact, English has another word, sconce 'earthworks, small fort.' This is the word today's good word comes from. To ensconce oneself in this sense means to 'dig in', a meaning very near that of ensconce today. This noun probably came from Dutch schans, akin to German Schanze 'entrenchment, redoubt'. The word for the wall lamp comes from Old French esconse 'lantern' from the Latin past participle (absconsus) of abscondere 'to hide'. Yes, our word abscond comes from the same word. (A curious etymological trip itself.)
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