derrick

American  

[der-ik] / ˈdɛr ɪk /

noun

derricks plural

1. Machinery. a jib crane having a boom hinged near the base of the mast so as to rotate about the mast, for moving a load toward or away from the mast by raising or lowering the boom.

2. Also called oil derrick.  the towerlike framework over an oil well or the like.

3. a boom for lifting cargo, pivoted at its inner end to a ship's mast or kingpost, and raised and supported at its outer end by topping lifts.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. Machinery. luff.

derrick British  

/ ˈdɛrɪk /

noun

1. a simple crane having lifting tackle slung from a boom

2. the framework erected over an oil well to enable drill tubes to be raised and lowered

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verb

1. to raise or lower the jib of (a crane)

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• derricks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of derrick

Originally a hangman, the gallows, after the surname of a well-known Tyburn hangman, circa 1600

Explanation

A derrick is either a crane for lifting material or a framework over an oil well that allows the drilling machinery to be raised and lowered. A 17th century English hangman named Derrick led to a gallows being called a derrick. From there, a crane with a moveable arm came to be called a derrick because it resembled a gallows. Later, another kind of derrick was created: the kind of framework you can probably picture if you think of an oil well. That derrick allows the drilling tubes to move up and down, and all these types of derricks have a similar, up-and-down purpose.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

derrick derricks

“Oil Creek between Titusville and Oil City,” taken in 1860, possibly by John Mather, shows one derrick.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

A giant wooden oil derrick serves as a central landmark in Taft, which finances its schools, fire department and police force with oil revenues.

From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2025

First cranes, then the drilling derrick and finally the accommodation modules fell into the sea.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2025

Taken in 1922 by Spence Air Photos, it depicts mostly wide-open fields dotted with the occasional oil derrick and a cluster of long, low buildings fronting the western side of Fairfax just south of Wilshire.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 21, 2023

At the end of the wharf, under the derrick used for unloading the largest ships, he stripped off his clothes and dove into the water.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

A picture taken by him 10 years later in Titusville shows a field littered with derricks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

“We must and will do it all — from oil derricks on our Coast to solar panels in the Delta,” Reeves said.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 26, 2024

Offshore wind advocates point out that oil derricks are also threatened by hurricanes, and most of the nation’s wind projects have so far held up to powerful storms.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 11, 2023

Rows of towering oil derricks were located anywhere you can imagine — in backyards, in parks and near the shoreline of Huntington Beach.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2023

They were hoisted out of the boats with derricks and windlasses built by the carpenters and put into waiting carts that carried them through the town to the site.

From "Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction" by David Macaulay