shale

[ sheyl ]

noun

1. a rock of fissile or laminated structure formed by the consolidation of clay or argillaceous material.

shale

/ ʃeɪl /

noun

1. a dark fine-grained laminated sedimentary rock formed by compression of successive layers of clay-rich sediment

shale

/ shāl /

1. A fine-grained sedimentary rock consisting of compacted and hardened clay, silt, or mud. Shale forms in many distinct layers and splits easily into thin sheets or slabs. It varies in color from black or gray to brown or red.

shale

1. A sedimentary rock formed from layers of clay.

Derived Forms

• ˈshaly, adjective

Other Words From

• shalelike shaley adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of shale¹

1740–50; origin uncertain; compare obsolete shale to split (said of stone), to shell, derivative of shale shell, husk, Old English scealu shell, husk; scale ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of shale¹

Old English scealu shell ; compare German Schalstein laminated limestone; see scale ¹, scale ²

Example Sentences

It is a former manufacturing state that has been transitioning to newer industries and businesses, but it has a large energy sector because of its abundant oil shale deposits.

From BBC

At one point, Harris was asked about the liberal positions, such as those on oil shale fracking, that she took during her failed 2019 presidential campaign and has since abandoned.

From BBC

But, in the clips released so far, Ms Harris did not explain her reversal on banning fracking - a technique for recovering gas and oil from shale rock used by an industry that is particularly strong in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.

From BBC

Does she think it’s more necessary to keep the Democratic coalition fired up heading into the convention and beyond, or to signal to swing voters that she’s ready to smash some shale rock to smithereens and huff up its delectable hydrocarbons?

From Slate

The researchers found that, even years later, the tissue and shells of mussels contained radium that could be traced to wastewater from fracking in the Marcellus Shale.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• sediment