noun
Uncommon
sickle
SIHKL
Sickle (noun) means a hand tool with a short handle and a curved blade, used for cutting grass or grain crops. Example: “The farmer swung the sickle in wide arcs to cut the wheat by hand.”
noun
1
A hand tool with a short handle and a curved blade, used for cutting grass or grain crops.
"The farmer swung the sickle in wide arcs to cut the wheat by hand."
"A hammer and sickle appear on the old Soviet flag."
verb
1
Of red blood cells: to distort into an abnormal crescent shape, as in sickle cell disease.
"In sickle cell anaemia, red blood cells sickle and block small blood vessels."
How to use sickle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA curved hand-blade for cutting crops, or (of blood cells) to bend into that crescent shape.
Common pairings
hammer and sickle
sickle cell
sickle-shaped
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Word forms
- Plural
- sickles
- Third person singular
- sickles
- Past tense
- sickled
Fill the gap
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The farmer swung the _____ in wide arcs to cut the wheat by hand.
Etymology
From Old English sicol, ultimately borrowed from Latin sīcīlis ("sickle"). Distantly related to "scythe" and "saw".
Synonyms
View more →
reap hook
reaping hook
Rhymes for sickle
See all rhymes for sickle →Frequently asked questions
What does “sickle” mean?
The word “sickle” means a hand tool with a short handle and a curved blade, used for cutting grass or grain crops. In plain terms, a curved hand-blade for cutting crops, or (of blood cells) to bend into that crescent shape.
How do you pronounce “sickle”?
“Sickle” is pronounced SIHKL (/ˈsɪkl̩/ in IPA).
How do you use “sickle” in a sentence?
Here is “sickle” used in a sentence: “The farmer swung the sickle in wide arcs to cut the wheat by hand.”
What part of speech is “sickle”?
Depending on how it is used, “sickle” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “sickle” come from?
The word “sickle” comes from Latin. From Old English sicol, ultimately borrowed from Latin sīcīlis ("sickle"). Distantly related to "scythe" and "saw".
Is “sickle” a common word?
“Sickle” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “sickle” have?
“Sickle” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a hand tool with a short handle and a curved blade, used for cutting grass or grain crops.
