What does "sickle" mean?
An implement having a semicircular blade and short handle, used for cutting long grass and cereal crops.
Sickle
/ˈsɪkl̩/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An implement having a semicircular blade and short handle, used for cutting long grass and cereal crops.
- Grammar: sickle is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: reaping hook, arc-shaped, bladed weapon, crescent.
- Useful contrasts: flail, hayfork, linear.
- Usage evidence: The girls who go, sickle on their shoulders, to cut alfalfa for the rabbits.
How to use "sickle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sickle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sickle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sickle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sickle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sickle" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "reaping hook" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sickle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An implement having a semicircular blade and short handle, used for cutting long grass and cereal crops.
"Coordinate term: scythe"
- 2 an edge tool for cutting grass or crops; has a curved blade and a short handle wordnet
- 3 Anything resembling a sickle, especially:; A sickle faether, any of the sickle-shaped rear feathers of the domestic cock.
- 4 Anything resembling a sickle, especially:; The crescent moon. poetic
"Then, ere the silver sickle of that month Became her golden shield, I stole from court With Cyril and with Florian, unperceived."
Verb
- 1 To cut with a sickle. rare, transitive
"Near-synonyms: reap, mow"
- 2 Of red blood cells: to assume an abnormal crescent shape. intransitive
"Even the cells of heterozygotes will sickle if the oxygen tension is low enough."
- 3 To deform (as with a red blood cell) into an abnormal crescent shape, to cause to sickle. transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from German.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The girls who go, sickle on their shoulders, to cut alfalfa for the rabbits."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sickle"?
Common synonyms include: reaping hook, arc-shaped, bladed weapon, crescent, crescent, crescent-shaped.
How do you use "sickle" in a sentence?
The girls who go, sickle on their shoulders, to cut alfalfa for the rabbits.
How do you pronounce "sickle"?
Pronounced /ˈsɪkl̩/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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.
Etymology 2
Probably an Americanized form of German Sickel.