shekel
/ˈʃɛk(ə)l
/noun
1The basic monetary unit of modern Israel, equal to 100 agorot.This takes time, effort and a not inconsiderable number of dollars, pounds, baht or shekels....
- I'll use any dollars or euros or yen or shekels thrown my way to keep this site online, and if folks do kick in, I promise to try and write more frequently as a token of my appreciation.
- Israelis claim to have found a counterfeiting press in Ramallah - one for faking shekels, not dollars.
1.1 historical A silver coin and unit of weight used in ancient Israel and the Middle East.Ephron has named a price - a pretty stiff price; a shekel was a measure of weight, 11.5 grams; four hundred shekels would amount to 10.6 pounds of silver....
- And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.
- And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
1.2 (shekels) informal Money; wealth: thank you for saving me time, not to mention hard-won shekels...
- All that awaits you now, Bheki, is, I trust, money - lots of lovely lolly, latkes, folding green stuff, shekels.
- With the demise of this wine style, many Australian vineyards of very old Grenache vines were torn out, for a few shekels of government compensation.
- To avert feline catastrophe, head over to the blog deemed Most Deserving of Wider Recognition and drop a few shekels in the tip jar.
Origin
From Hebrew šeqel, from šāqal 'weigh'.