Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A common prehistoric tool of stone or metal, shaped like a chisel or ax head.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In archaeology, an implement or weapon widely used among primitive and uncivilized races, and having the general form of a chisel or an ax-blade.
  • noun A member of one of the peoples speaking languages akin to those of Wales, Ireland, the Highlands of Scotland, and Brittany, and constituting a branch or principal division of the Indo-European family.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun One of an ancient race of people, who formerly inhabited a great part of Central and Western Europe, and whose descendants at the present day occupy Ireland, Wales, the Highlands of Scotland, and the northern shores of France.
  • noun (Archæol.) A weapon or implement of stone or metal, found in the tumuli, or barrows, of the early Celtic nations.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun a prehistoric chisel-bladed tool

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a member of a European people who once occupied Britain and Spain and Gaul prior to Roman times

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Medieval Latin celtis, chisel probably back-formed from celte, a word found in some manuscripts of the Vulgate (Job 14:24) and interpreted as the ablative of a Latin *celtis, chisel, but probably a misreading of Latin certē, certainly.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin celtis ‘chisel’.

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Examples

  • It was said that one Indian, working alone, felling the pine-tree by the primitive way of burning and scraping off the charred parts with a stone tool called a celt (for the Indians had no iron or steel axes), then cutting off the top in the same manner, then burning out part of the interior, then burning and scraping and shaping it without and within, could make one of these dugouts in three weeks.

    Home Life in Colonial Days Alice Morse Earle 1881

  • Ray Reser, director of the Central Wisconsin Archaeology Center at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, described the object as a copper "celt," a type of ax blade with no perforations or grooves.

    Archive 2008-04-01 Jan 2008

  • The 'celt' is a front tooth in flint or bronze, enlarged and fitted to a handle for chipping, splitting, and general work.

    Field and Hedgerow Being the Last Essays of Richard Jefferies Richard Jefferies 1867

  • "celt" or stone axe-head of this kind, ornamented with a pattern of inter - crossing lines, is figured and described by the Rev.Mr. Mackenzie

    The Clyde Mystery a Study in Forgeries and Folklore Andrew Lang 1878

  • They should try to at least make him look like an ancient gael/celt with description cues right from the howard books

    First Sneak Peeks of Jason Momoa as Conan! Reis O'Brien 2010

  • I've since been thinking about it, and I think I'll add rattlebacks celt stones to your ideas.

    Teacher in wonderland doyle 2009

  • The rattleback is also known as a "wobblestone" for obvious reasons, and as a "celt."

    Archive 2008-07-01 doyle 2008

  • I imagine a bored archaeologist spinning a celt as she sat in her tent during bad weather at a dig site.

    Classroom toys: rattlebacks doyle 2008

  • The rattleback is also known as a "wobblestone" for obvious reasons, and as a "celt."

    Classroom toys: rattlebacks doyle 2008

  • I imagine a bored archaeologist spinning a celt as she sat in her tent during bad weather at a dig site.

    Archive 2008-07-01 doyle 2008

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