noun
shekel
An ancient Near Eastern unit of weight.
The museum label gives the ancient weight as one shekel.
Etymology
The Hebrew name belongs to the family for weighing. Before its monetary uses, a shekel was a measured unit of weight.
More examples
- The tablet records a shipment of copper weighing thirty shekels.
- A shekel's exact weight varies by time and place.
- The merchant measures the silver in shekels rather than counting coins.
Forms
shekel · shekels