SHEKEL

shekel

(noun) the basic unit of money in Israel

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

shekel (plural shekels or shekalim)

A currency unit of both ancient and modern Israel.

(slang, often, antisemitic) Money, especially that purportedly owned or distributed as bribes by Jewish elites.

(historical) An ancient unit of weight equivalent to one-fiftieth of a mina.

Source: Wiktionary

Shek"el, n. Etym: [Heb. shegel, fr. shagal to weigh.]

1. An ancient weight and coin used by the Jews and by other nations of the same stock.

Note: 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.

2. pl.

Definition: A jocose term for money.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition