† sicle Obs.
Forms: α. 3–8 sicle, 5–6 sycle, 6–7 sickle. β. 4–6 cicle, 6 cycle.
[a. OF. sicle, cicle (mod.F. sicle), ad. late L. siclus, a. Gr. σίκλος, σίγλος, ad. Heb. sheqel: see shekel. Cf. MDu. sicle, cicle, cikel, Du. sikkel, G. † sickel, sikel.]
1. A shekel.
| α a 1225 Ancr. R. 398 Me solde his euesunge..uor two hundred sicles of seolure. 1382 Wyclif Ezek. xlv. 12 Forsothe a sicle shal haue twenti halpenns; forsothe twenti syclis, and fyue and twenti syclis maken a besaunt. c 1400 Love Bonavent. Mirr. xxxvi. (1908) 188 Tweyne mytes, the ferthe parte of a sicle. 1535 Coverdale 2 Kings vii. 16 A buszshel of fyne meell was solde for a Sycle, and two buszshels of barlye for a Sycle also. 1565 Jewel Reply Harding (1611) 436 With the holy Sicle, we must buy Christ, that may put away our Sinnes. The holy Sicle beareth the forme of our Faith. 1602 L. Lloyd Briefe Conf. 77 The Elders of that citie should..mearce him in an hundred sickles of siluer. 1649 Jer. Taylor Gt. Exemp. iii. xiv. 45 The accustomed imposition a Sicle or didrachme, the fourth part of an ounce of silver. |
| β 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) IV. 135 Mina is a manere weiȝte oþer a maner money, and weieþ sixty cicles. c 1400 Love Bonavent. Mirr. ix. (1908) 62 The child..was bouȝt aȝen as a seruaunt for v. penyes, that weren cleped cicles. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Acts 28 b, A sepulchre whiche Abraham bought for an hundreth siluer cicles. a 1591 H. Smith Serm. (1866) I. 405 A cycle or a homer, or an ephah. |
2. An ancient Persian coin, worth half of a silver stater.
rare—1.
| 1725 tr. Dupin's Eccl. Hist. 17th C. v. I. 184 He begs Aleander to send him the figur'd Inscription of the Sicles, of which he had spoke to him. |
3. The value of two silver pennies.
rare—1.
| 1720 J. Johnson Canons Eng. Ch. dccxxxiv. viii, We will that the Adulterers pay thirty Sicles, or sixty Pieces of Silver to the Church. |