celt

¹

[ selt ]

noun

, Archaeology.

1. an ax of stone or metal without perforations or grooves, for hafting.

Celt

²

[ kelt, selt ]

noun

1. a member of an Indo-European people now represented chiefly by the Irish, Gaels, Welsh, and Bretons.

Celt.

³

or Celt

abbreviation for

1. Celtic.

Celt

¹

/ sɛlt; kɛlt /

noun

1. a person who speaks a Celtic language
2. a member of an Indo-European people who in pre-Roman times inhabited Britain, Gaul, Spain, and other parts of W and central Europe

celt

²

/ sɛlt /

noun

1. archaeol a stone or metal axelike instrument with a bevelled edge

Word History and Origins

Origin of celt¹

1705–15; < Late Latin *celtis chisel, found only in the ablative case celte (Vulgate, Job XIX, 24)

Origin of celt²

1695–1705; < Latin Celtae (plural); in Greek Keltoí (plural)

Word History and Origins

Origin of celt¹

C18: from Late Latin celtes chisel, of obscure origin

Example Sentences

You’re sitting there, flipping through channels or scrolling across a streaming platform’s feed, and you find a 60 minute exploration of Celt warfare, or siege engines of the ancient world.

From Washington Post

Celtic ethnology and philology (see Celt) are still in the "age of discussion."

From Project Gutenberg

Four dialects are pretty clearly marked (see the article Celt: Language, "Breton," p. 328).

From Project Gutenberg

If the immediate result of the battle was a victory of Celt over Dane, the lasting effect was a triumph of anarchy over order.

From Project Gutenberg

Celt and Greek alike were usually absorbed and lost in the masses of the people to whom they came.

From Project Gutenberg

But the Teuton left little impression on the alien culture, while Achæan and Celt leavened the whole mass.

From Project Gutenberg