shekel

noun

shek·​el ˈshe-kəl 

variants or sheqel

plural shekels or shekalim 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

4

the basic monetary unit of Israel see Money Table

Synonyms

• bread [slang]
• bucks
• cabbage [slang]
• cash
• change
• chips
• coin
• currency
• dough
• gold
• green
• jack [slang]
• kale [slang]
• legal tender
• lolly [British]
• long green [slang]
• loot
• lucre
• money
• moola [slang]
• moolah
• needful
• pelf
• scratch [slang]
• tender
• wampum

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

And last week, citing unnamed public officials, Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan, reported that the Israeli government had sent hundreds of millions of shekels to the group. —Matt Bradley, NBC news, 11 June 2025

One kilo of chicken (2.2 pounds) that was 21 shekels ($5.76) is now 50 shekels ($13.72). —Julia Frankel, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025

Unemployment is low, the high-tech sector seems to be thriving, and the shekel has weathered the storm surprisingly well. —Shoshanna Solomon, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Apr. 2025

In the central Gaza city of Deir Al-Balah, one cigarette priced at 5 shekels ($1.37) before the cutoff now stands at 20 shekels ($5.49). —Julia Frankel, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Hebrew sheqel

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for shekel

• decal
• freckle
• meckel
• speckle
• thecal

Kids 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