oil shale

American  

noun

Geology.

1. a black or dark-brown shale or siltstone rich in bitumens, from which shale oil is obtained by destructive distillation.

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oil shale British  

noun

1. a fine-grained shale containing oil, which can be extracted by heating

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oil shale Scientific  

1. A fine-grained black or dark brown shale containing hydrocarbons in the form of kerogen. When heated, oil shale yields petroleum or natural gas.

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Etymology

Origin of oil shale

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

oil shale

When it was built, oil shale was put into the ground.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026

Producers also argue it will eventually allow them to develop oil shale and tar sands oil that are currently too costly to pursue.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 10, 2023

"If it's closed down, people will go away," she added, as a chemical odour from a nearby oil shale processing plant hung in the air.

From Reuters ● Mar. 2, 2023

The Carter administration tried a slew of policies to promote conservation and lift production of various sources of energy, some clean, some dirty, from solar power to oil shale and liquid fuels made of coal.

From New York Times ● Feb. 25, 2022

Legislative action is required to carry on experiments in oil shale reduction, as large deposits of this type have been set aside for the use of the Navy.

From State of the Union Address by Calvin Coolidge