fracking
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fracking
Shortening and alteration
Explanation
Fracking is a method of extracting natural gas and oil that are trapped in underground rocks in order to use them for fuel. Fracking is controversial, especially among environmentalists. The term fracking is a 21st-century word, first appearing in jargon used by engineers as shorthand for "hydraulic fracturing." This is the engineering process that blasts very high-pressure jets of water underground, flushing out deposits of oil and gas that would otherwise be almost impossible to reach. The use of such enormous quantities of water, and the pollution that results, are just two of the downsides of fracking.
Vocabulary lists containing fracking
Earth Science: Natural Resources and the Environment
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Earth Science II
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for July 10–July 16, 2021
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Burning natural gas also causes significant air pollution in the form of nitric oxides, sulfur, mercury and particulates, while hydraulic fracturing or "fracking," can contaminate ground water supplies.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
While the US has focused on flexibility, embracing fracking and letting prices respond to the market, Europe has relied on long-term contracts and interconnected supply networks to guarantee energy security.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
"Petro can't finish his term" in August "without a ban on fracking," she insisted.
From Barron's ● Apr. 20, 2026
It is a byproduct of fracking, and oil producers often pay midstream companies to take it off their hands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
For one thing, the country has become the world’s largest producer of energy thanks to the fracking revolution.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 21, 2026
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
