sickle

American  

[sik-uhl] / ˈsɪk əl /

noun

sickles plural

1. an implement for cutting grain, grass, etc., consisting of a curved, hooklike blade mounted in a short handle.

2. Astronomy. Sickle, a group of stars in the constellation Leo, likened to this implement for its curved, sickle-like shape.

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sickle British  

/ ˈsɪkəl /

noun

1. an implement for cutting grass, corn, etc, having a curved blade and a short handle

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sickles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sickle

First recorded before 1000; Middle English sikel, Old English sicol; cognate with Dutch zikkel, German Sichel, all ultimately derived from Latin secula, equivalent to sec(āre) “to cut” + -ula -ule

Explanation

A sickle is a tool with a handle and a curved metal blade that workers use for trimming grass or harvesting crops. Put a hammer next to a sickle and boom, there’s the symbol for communism. Farmers use sickles to clear brush or cut grain crops by hand. In some parts of the world, sickles are also used as weapons and for cooking. The sickle often represents an agricultural working class, notably in the crossed hammer and sickle symbol of the former Soviet Union and current Communist and Socialist parties around the world. Sickle comes from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to cut."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sickle sickles

The Cambridge, Mass.-based biopharmaceutical company said it has discontinued its pociredir program for the treatment of sickle cell disease and launched “a comprehensive review of strategic alternatives to maximize stockholder value.”

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

Donors are vital for securing a steady supply of blood for cancer patients, new mothers, those living with long-term conditions such as sickle cell disease, as well as during emergencies.

From BBC ● May 26, 2026

A model of how one of GluBio’s experimental ‘molecular glue’ drugs causes two proteins in the human body, WIZ and cereblon, to stick to each other in a way designed to relieve sickle cell disease.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 11, 2026

Units from people with rare blood like Stoddart-Stones are used for patients with the same rare blood who are having an operation or need regular transfusions because of disorders such as sickle cell disease.

From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026

The sickle Moon was gleaming dimly among the leaves.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

“Even in the doctor’s office, in the cards that show up when we’re showing each of Puss’ deaths, there’s a fancy little border: It’s an icon of the Wolf with sickles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2023

Eighteen-year-old Noor Mohammad and 25-year-old Ahmad keep swinging their sickles to clear a remaining metre of grain.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2022

The palms themselves serve as a wind barrier, creating sauna-like conditions, and harvesters need incredible strength to hoist long poles with sickles into the towering trees.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 23, 2020

FARIDKOT, India — A column of four-by-fours turned off a dusty road in rural Punjab last week, past ox carts and farmworkers holding sickles, and came to a stop in an unmarked field.

From New York Times ● Jan. 9, 2016

I hurry back into the rooms, pushing past Katherine and grabbing the cavalry sword and my sickles.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

Related Words

• bayonet
• blade
• cutter
• dagger
• machete
• scalpel
• skewer
• sword