oil sand

American  

noun

Geology.

1. a sand or sandstone containing oil or tarry residue in the pore spaces.

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oil sand British  

noun

1. a sandstone impregnated with hydrocarbons, esp such deposits in Alberta, Canada

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oil sand Scientific  

1. A stratum of sand or sandstone containing petroleum that can be extracted by way of wells. The term is also applied to limestone and dolomite strata that contain petroleum.

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Etymology

Origin of oil sand

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

Diluted bitumen, or dilbit, is a natural oil sand found in sand deposits.

From Salon • Dec. 19, 2022

In fact, DiCaprio blows the one chance he has for a meaningful confrontation: on a helicopter tour over an oil sand field with an oil executive, DiCaprio fails to ask a single pertinent question.

From The Verge • Sep. 10, 2016

The oil sand industry that has shaped the contours of modern Fort McMurray is in turn shaped by the internal-combusting society it feeds.

From Slate • May 16, 2016

Calgary-based Husky Energy Inc., which operates oil sand mines and runs refineries in the U.S. and Canada, told investors on Friday that it cut 1,400 workers and will extend a companywide salary freeze.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2015

Altogether, when the oil, sand, and water tanks were filled, the great machine would weigh two hundred and eighty-five tons—a monster indeed!

From Tom Swift and His Electric Locomotive, or, Two Miles a Minute on the Rails by Appleton, Victor [pseud.]