Shekel

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: shek=el

CIDE DICTIONARY

Shekel, n. [Heb. shegel, fr. shāgal to weigh.].

•  An ancient weight and coin used by the Jews and by other nations of the same stock.  [1913 Webster]

  " A common estimate makes the shekel equal in weight to about 130 grains for gold, 224 grains for silver, and 450 grains for copper, and the approximate values of the coins are (gold) $5.00, (silver) 60 cents, and (copper half shekel), one and one half cents."  [1913 Webster]
•  A jocose term for money.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Shekel, n.
1 the chief monetary unit of modern Israel.
2 hist. a silver coin and unit of weight used in ancient Israel and the Middle East.
3 (in pl.) colloq. money; riches.

Etymology

Heb. sekel f. sakal weigh