ensconce
verb /ɪnˈskɒns/
/ɪnˈskɑːns/
(formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they ensconce | /ɪnˈskɒns/ /ɪnˈskɑːns/ |
| he / she / it ensconces | /ɪnˈskɒnsɪz/ /ɪnˈskɑːnsɪz/ |
| past simple ensconced | /ɪnˈskɒnst/ /ɪnˈskɑːnst/ |
| past participle ensconced | /ɪnˈskɒnst/ /ɪnˈskɑːnst/ |
| -ing form ensconcing | /ɪnˈskɒnsɪŋ/ /ɪnˈskɑːnsɪŋ/ |
- be ensconced (+adv./prep.) | ensconce yourself (+adv./prep.) if you are ensconced or ensconce yourself somewhere, you are made or make yourself comfortable and safe in that place or position
- He ensconced himself in my bedroom as if he owned it.
- The teacher was ensconced in an elaborate wooden chair.
Word Originlate 16th cent. (in the senses ‘fortify’ and ‘shelter within or behind a fortification’; formerly also as insconce): from en-, in- ‘in’ + sconce ‘ a small fort used to defend a ford, pass or castle gate’.