shale

American  

[sheyl] / ʃeɪl /

noun

1. a rock of fissile or laminated structure formed by the consolidation of clay or argillaceous material.

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shale British  

/ ʃeɪl /

noun

1. a dark fine-grained laminated sedimentary rock formed by compression of successive layers of clay-rich sediment

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shale Scientific  

/ shāl /

1. A fine-grained sedimentary rock consisting of compacted and hardened clay, silt, or mud. Shale forms in many distinct layers and splits easily into thin sheets or slabs. It varies in color from black or gray to brown or red.

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shale Cultural  

1. A sedimentary rock formed from layers of clay.

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Other Word Forms

• shalelike adjective
• shaley adjective
• shaly adjective

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; scale ²

Compare meaning

How does shale compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• mudstone vs. shale

Example Sentences

Coal-fired and nuclear plants had a hard time competing after the shale boom unleashed abundant, inexpensive natural-gas supplies, and the cost of wind and solar projects plummeted.

From The Wall Street Journal

When new drilling and fracking techniques unleashed the shale boom, Lewis applied the techniques to gas-rich shale and, in time, built a small empire.

From The Wall Street Journal

While the shale drilling boom has unleashed a flood of oil from places like West Texas and North Dakota, it is often not the right kind of crude for American refiners.

From The Wall Street Journal

Before the U.S. shale boom started around 2008, heavier crudes were more widely available on the global market so U.S. refineries were built to process them.

From MarketWatch

The thinking is that if Venezuela becomes the new hot spot for oil production growth, U.S. shale will fade into the past.

From Barron's

Related Words

• sediment