Meaning & Definition of word "Sickle"

Sickle

/ˈsɪk.əl/

noun:

  • 1. A hand-held agricultural tool with a curved blade used for cutting grain or grass.
    • Example: The farmer used a sickle to harvest the wheat.
  • 2. A tool with a similar shape or design used for cutting.
    • Example: She found an old sickle in the barn, covered in rust.
  • 3. In anatomy, a sickle refers to the sickle-shaped structure, such as the sickle cell in sickle cell anemia.
    • Example: The doctor explained how sickle cells can block blood flow in the capillaries.

verb:

  • 1. To cut or mow with a sickle.
    • Example: He sickled through the tall grass to clear a path.

Etymology

Middle English 'sicle', from Old English 'siclo', related to Old High German 'sickila'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

sickle cell:

Refers to sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder.

sickle-shaped:

Describing an object that resembles the shape of a sickle.

Related Words

scythe:

A tool used for mowing grass or reaping crops.

crescent:

A shape that resembles a portion of a circle or a sickle.

Slang Meanings of sickle

Meaning: A reference to something dangerous or deadly.

Example Sentence: That motorcycle is sickle, man, it's fast!

Meaning: Used in gaming to describe a sharp or cutting move.

Example Sentence: He landed a sickle move that knocked out his opponent.