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

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.

Other Word Forms

• shalelike adjective
• shaley adjective
• shaly 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

The government says it plans to pass legislation to permanently ban fracking for shale gas in England.

From BBC

Labour said Miliband would launch a campaign to take on Reform UK over shale gas exploration.

From BBC

It's called shale gas and the method of getting it out of the ground, known as fracking, has proved politically difficult.

From BBC

"People in Moscow are laughing at this idea, because the party which will suffer the most… is the American shale oil industry, the least cost-competitive oil industry in the world," Mr Milov told the BBC.

From BBC

It sits on a sheltered port which already receives weekly shipments of shale gas from the US.

From BBC

Related Words

• sediment