shekel

American  

[shek-uhl] / ˈʃɛk əl /

noun

1. Also sheqel a paper money, cupronickel or silver coin, and monetary unit of Israel equal to 100 agorot: replaced the pound in 1980.

2. an ancient, originally Babylonian, unit of weight, of varying value, taken as equal to the fiftieth or the sixtieth part of a mina or to about a quarter to half an ounce.

3. a coin of this weight, especially the chief silver coin of the ancient Hebrews.

4. Slang. shekels, money; cash.

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shekel British  

/ ˈʃɛkəl /

noun

1. the standard monetary unit of modern Israel, divided into 100 agorot

2. any of several former coins and units of weight of the Near East

3. informal (often plural) any coin or money

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Etymology

Origin of shekel

First recorded in 1550–60, shekel is from the Hebrew word sheqel

Example Sentences

You’ll want to build up at least six months’ worth of an emergency fund in shekels, says Arielle Tucker, a certified financial planner who specializes in cross-border planning and U.S. tax issues.

From MarketWatch

A string of people come to Saadani's table, showing her the flaws in their Israeli shekel notes.

From Barron's

Residents reported journeys taking hours and costing hundreds of shekels due to the scarcity of transport and soaring prices.

From BBC

"It took us 10 hours to reach Khan Younis, and we paid 3,500 shekels for the ride. The line of cars and trucks seemed endless."

From BBC

"For example, I used to buy sugar for five shekels, three shekels, or four shekels, but now I buy sugar for six shekels, meaning I don't make more than a small profit," he said.

From BBC