sickle

A sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a curved blade that is attached to a short handle. The blade is typically concave and sharpened on the edge, allowing a sweeping motion to cut through stalks of cereals or grasses. Used one-handed, the sickle is swung in a curved arc and drawn toward the user to harvest crops.

Originating in ancient agriculture, sickles have been produced in many cultures and material combinations, including bronze and iron blades with wooden handles. Variants exist, such as the short-handled curved sickle used for cutting grains and the longer-handed versions in some regions. The related tool scythe has a longer handle and is used to mow larger areas; the two are often contrasted in farming literature.

Despite mechanization, sickles remain in use in some rural areas and home gardens, particularly for selective harvesting, weeding, or cutting grasses. Maintenance includes sharpening the edge, preventing rust, and securing a solid handle. Safety involves keeping the blade covered when not in use.

In broader usage, sickle can describe anything curved like a crescent. The term also appears in medical contexts as a description of the crescent-shaped red blood cells found in sickle cell disease, and the word appears in the symbol hammer and sickle.