sickle

CEFRC2

/ˈsɪkl̩/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A curved blade used for cutting crops.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    Anything resembling a sickle, especially:, A sickle feather, any of the sickle-shaped rear feathers of the domestic cock.

Examples

  • I cannot harvest. I don't have a sickle.

  • The girls who go, sickle on their shoulders, to cut alfalfa for the rabbits.

At a glance

Sits at C2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
4
Synonyms
4

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. An implement having a semicircular blade and short handle, used for cutting long grass and cereal crops.

  2. Anything resembling a sickle, especially:

  3. A sickle feather, any of the sickle-shaped rear feathers of the domestic cock.

More examples

In context

  • Near-synonyms: reap, mow

  • Oft did the harveſt to their ſickle yield, Their furrow oft the ſtubborn glebe has broke; How jocund did they drive their team afield! How bow’d the woods beneath their ſturdy ſtroke!

  • Even the cells of heterozygotes will sickle if the oxygen tension is low enough.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The farmer used a curved blank to carefully cut the tall wheat in the field.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English sikel (also assibilated in sichel), from Old English sicol, siċel, from Proto-West Germanic *sikilu, itself borrowed from Latin sēcula (“sickle”) or sīcīlis (“sickle”). Cognate with Dutch sikkel, German Sichel. Remotely related with English scythe and saw.