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

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

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 notes

In 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

Word forms

sickled past tense, sickles plural, Sickles plural, sickles singular

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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".

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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reap hook reaping hook

Rhymes for sickle

tickle pickle fickle trickle

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.