ensconced
UK[ɪnˈskɒnst]US[ɪnˈskɑːnst]
v
to settle yourself in a safe, comfortable, or secret place
v
to place or hide something securely or snugly
Morpheme Breakdown
en
sconce
ed
en
in, into, on, to make
sconce
ed
Etymology
the word "ensconced" has a military origin, literally meaning "to place in a fort". it derives from the prefix "en-" (to put into) and the now-archaic noun "sconce", which referred to a small protective fort or earthwork. this noun came into english from old french esconce (a hiding place), which itself traces back to the medieval latin absconsa, a feminine form of absconsus (hidden), from the latin verb abscondere (to hide). thus, the literal action of putting someone or something into a protective shelter evolved into the modern figurative sense of establishing oneself or something else in a comfortable, safe, or concealed position.
Analysis
Structure: en + sconce + ed
en: a prefix of french and latin origin, meaning "in, into, on, to make".
sconce: from middle english sconce, meaning a small fort or shelter, ultimately from old french esconce (hiding place).
ed: a suffix of old english origin, used to form the past tense and past participle of verbs.
Examples
the cat was comfortably ensconced on the sofa by the fire.
after years of travel, she finally ensconced herself in a quiet cottage by the sea.
the valuable documents were ensconced in the bank's main vault.