shale

American  

[sheyl] / ʃeɪl /

noun

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

---

shale British  

/ ʃeɪl /

noun

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

---

shale Scientific  

/ 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 Cultural  

1. A sedimentary rock formed from layers of clay.

---

Other Word Forms

• shalelike adjective
• shaley adjective
• shaly adjective

Etymology

Origin of shale

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

Compare meaning

How does shale compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• mudstone vs. shale

Example Sentences

The price of Brent crude has been bouncing around north of $100 a barrel, though U.S. shale blends trade at a steep discount in part because they are more costly to refine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

The world is likely to need shale production again.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Meloni said Italy would invest in shale gas projects and offshore exploration in Algeria.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Depending on who you listen to in the industry, American shale fields are peaking or are about to peak.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Five hundred feet above the South Col, where the steep shale gave way to a gender slope of snow, Namba’s oxygen ran out, and the diminutive Japanese woman sat down, refusing to move.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

• sediment