shale
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of shale
1740–50; origin uncertain; compare obsolete shale to split (said of stone), to shell, derivative of shale shell, husk, Old English scealu shell, husk; see scale 2
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Vocabulary lists containing shale
Earth Science - Middle School
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Earth Science - High School
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Geology - Middle School
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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.
International shale drilling is one of the more interesting plays.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
But there is also a structural reason: U.S. shale is a maturing resource with its best days of growth behind it.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
For now, shale companies are focused on bolstering their balance sheets to weather future oil volatility thanks to a free cash flow windfall.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
The group last week announced it would acquire Canadian company ARC Resources in a $16.4-billion purchase to boost its access to shale gas and liquids production.
From Barron's • May 7, 2026
The shale, in particular, breaks into perfect building blocks with the tap of the hammer in the right place.
From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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.
