Category:Sickle

Sic"kle, n. Etym: [oe. sikel, as. sicol; akin to d. sikkel, g. Sichel, ohg. sihhila, dan. segel, segl, l. secula, fr. secare to cut; Or perhaps from l. secula. See saw a cutting instrument.]

1. A reaping instrument consisting of a steel blade curved into the Form of a hook, and having a handle fitted on a tang. The sickle has One side of the blade notched, so as always to sharpen with a Serrated edge. Cf. Reaping hook, under reap. When corn has once felt the sickle, it has no more benefit from the Sunshine. Shak.

2. (astron.)

Defn: a group of stars in the constellation leo. See illust. of leo. Sickle pod (bot.), a kind of rock cress (arabis canadensis) having Very long curved pods.

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---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Sickle - Of the Egyptians resembled that in modern use. The ears of corn were cut with it near the top of the straw. There was also a sickle used for warlike purposes, more correctly, however, called a pruning-hook (Deuteronomy 16:9; Jeremiah 50:16, marg., "scythe;" Joel 3:13; Mark 4:29).