| 释义 |
▪ I. shekel|ˈʃɛkəl|
Also 6–7 shekle, shekell, 7 sheicle, sheckle.
[a. Heb. sheqel, f. shāqal to weigh. (The word was adopted in the form sicle through French and Latin.)]
1. a. An ancient unit of weight of the Babylonians, and hence of the Phœnicians, Hebrews, and others, equal to one-sixtieth of a mina (see mina1 1). b. A coin of this weight; esp. the chief silver coin of the Hebrews.
1560Bible (Geneva) Exod. xxx. 13 This shal euerie man giue, that goeth into the nombre, half a shekel, after the shekel of the Sanctuarie. [But 1 Macc. x. 42 sicles.] 1597Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxxix. 243 Two thousand and foure hundred shekels of Siluer, an hundred and twentie shekels of Gold, euery shekell waighing halfe an ounce. 1611Cotgr., Cicle, a Sheicle. 1614Raleigh Hist. World ii. v. §2. 297 The waight of gold in the incense-Cups [amounted] to 120 sheckles of Gold. 1647Greaves Roman Foot 76 The Hebrew of Samaritane shekel. 1728Chambers Cycl. s.v., Some are of Opinion, that the Hebrews had two kinds of Shekels. The Common, or Prophane Shekel, call'd Didrachma; and the Shekel of the Sanctuary, which last they will have double the former. 1846Trench Mirac. xxviii. (1862) 376 note, Before the Babylonian exile, the shekel was only a certain weight of silver, not a coined money.
attrib.1886Conder Syrian Stone-Lore iv. (1896) 152 In the tenth year of Darius, shekel pieces..are mentioned on inscribed tablets. 1899Expositor Nov. 392 When a shekel ingot was first stamped with a mark of quality or value, it was still called a shekel.
c. An Israeli unit of currency introduced in February 1980, equivalent to ten former Israeli pounds; a note of this value.
1980Times 23 Feb. 1/2 From next week the Israeli pound is to be replaced by a new currency named after the Biblical shekel... Each shekel will be purchased with 10 present Israeli pounds. 1980Whitaker's Almanack 1981 979 Israel..Israeli Shekel of 100 New Agora..[Notes] Shekels 50, 10, 5, 1.
2. fig. (pl.) Coin; money. colloq. Also in phr. to rake in the shekels, to make money rapidly or ‘hand over fist’ (from a venture). Cf. rake n.1 2 a (a).
[1823Byron Age of Bronze xv, No land of Canaan, full of milk and honey, Nor (save in paper shekels) ready money.] 1883F. M. Crawford Dr. Claudius v, Though he was so rich, he never talked about money except in a vague way as ‘lots of shekels’, or ‘piles of tin’. 1887[see high a. 10 h]. 1915J. Buchan 39 Steps i. 18 The capitalists would rake in the shekels, and make fortunes by buying up wreckage.
▪ II. shekel
dial. f. shackle n.1 |