shale

noun

: a fissile rock that is formed by the consolidation of clay, mud, or silt, has a finely stratified or laminated structure, and is composed of minerals essentially unaltered since deposition
shaley adjective
or less commonly shaly

Examples of shale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With oil in the $70s, though, growth in the US has explicitly slowed, with US shale showing a negligible year-over-year increase in production. Mark Le Dain, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024 Tepid demand growth and rising output outside OPEC+, including U.S. shale, is forcing tradeoffs between trying to prop up prices and regain market share. Ben Geman, Axios, 4 Dec. 2024 It was triggered by the massive supply from the US shale boom. Brett Owens, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024 Running through the shale—a relatively soft rock—was a fault. Bypaul Voosen, science.org, 7 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shale 

Word History

Etymology

probably from obsolete or dialect shale scale, shell, from Middle English, from Old English scealu — more at shell

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shale was in 1747

Dictionary Entries Near shale

Cite this Entry

“Shale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shale. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

shale

noun
: a rock with a fine grain formed from clay, mud, or silt
shaley adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on shale

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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