variants
or sheqel
plural shekels or shekalim
she-ˈkä-lim 
or shekelim
shē-ˈkā-lim
or sheqalim
she-ˈkä-lim
or shekelim
shē-ˈkā-lim
or sheqalim
she-ˈkä-lim
1
a
: any of various ancient units of weight
especially
: a Hebrew unit equal to about 252 grains troy
b
: a unit of value based on a shekel weight of gold or silver
2
: a coin weighing one shekel
3
shekels plural, informal
: money
… making boxing history in the ring in New York, Chicago and wherever else fans … were willing to unburden themselves of substantial sums of shekels for the pleasure of seeing two guys vent their nastiness on each other.—
Pete Coutros
Pete Coutros4
the basic monetary unit of Israel see Money Table
Synonyms
Examples of shekel in a Sentence
if I had the shekels, I'd be first in line to buy one of the new vehicles
Recent Examples on the Web
Foreign currency transaction loss increased to $4.6 million from $1.1 million, primarily due to unfavorable exchange rates affecting the outstanding Series Bonds denominated in Israeli new shekels.
—Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
When the troops reached him, his body was found with a weapon, a flak jacket and 40,000 shekels ($10,731.63) as well as various documents that suggested he was forced to shift location as the Israeli search closed around him.
—James MacKenzie, Reuters, 18 Oct. 2024
He was found with a gun and more than $10,000 in Israeli shekels, the spokesperson said.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024
Watch on Deadline Incredibly, given that this was in the wake of an attack that had shaken Israel to its core, the pair were able to assemble a team of 135 volunteers without spending a shekel.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shekel 
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Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
When the troops reached him, his body was found with a weapon, a flak jacket and 40,000 shekels ($10,731.63) as well as various documents that suggested he was forced to shift location as the Israeli search closed around him.
—James MacKenzie, Reuters, 18 Oct. 2024
He was found with a gun and more than $10,000 in Israeli shekels, the spokesperson said.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024
Watch on Deadline Incredibly, given that this was in the wake of an attack that had shaken Israel to its core, the pair were able to assemble a team of 135 volunteers without spending a shekel.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shekel
Articles Related to shekel
Dictionary Entries Near shekel
Cite this Entry
“Shekel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shekel. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shekel
noun
shek·el
ˈshek-əl
1
: an ancient unit of weight or value
especially
: a Hebrew unit equal to about 252 grains troy (about 16.3 grams)
2
: a coin weighing one shekel
3
: the basic unit of money of Israel
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