oil shale

noun

: a rock (such as shale) from which oil can be recovered by distillation

Examples of oil shale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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According to the International Energy Agency, in 2020, countries outside the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development relied on coal, peat, and oil shale for 36 percent of their total energy supply, while renewables supplied only 16 percent. Kelly Sims Gallagher, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021 Germany’s Messel Pit Fossil Site contains black oil shale that has preserved even the soft tissues of tens of thousands of 47-million-year-old fossils. Sophie Bushwick, Discover Magazine, 21 June 2012 Incentive program was expected to provide millions of dollars in tax breaks for energy projects ranging from solar to nuclear to oil shale. Tim Fitzpatrick, The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 July 2022 The Estonian state-owned seeks to develop Utah oil shale. Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 July 2022 See all Example Sentences for oil shale 

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oil shale was in 1866

Dictionary Entries Near oil shale

Cite this Entry

“Oil shale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oil%20shale. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

oil shale

noun
: a rock (as shale) from which oil can be recovered

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