noun / adjective / verb
sickle
SIK-ul/ˈsɪkl/
A harvesting tool with a crescent-shaped blade.
The sickle has a short wooden handle and a curved harvesting blade.
Etymology
Old English sicol named the grain-reaping tool, preserving the same practical sense in English. Its distinctive curved blade also gave the word a broader use for crescent-shaped objects.
In context
the cutting and gathering of our crops was done by the sickle a simple device with the handle and a curved cutting blade
More examples
- He sharpens the sickle before the harvest.
- Workers use sickles to cut the tall grass along the fence.
- In sickle cell disease, red blood cells can sickle when oxygen levels drop.
Forms
sickle · sickles · sickled · sickling
Similar words
- scythe
- Has a longer handle and cuts with broad sweeping strokes.