Word of the Day

: December 1, 2021

derrick

noun DAIR-ik

What It Means

A derrick is a tall framework over an oil well that supports equipment used in drilling.

// Areas of the desert have become fields of oil derricks.

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derrick in Context

"Oil derricks dot the coastline, often scattered in between residential and shopping centers with views of the ocean." — The Examiner (Washington, D.C.), 22 Oct. 2021

Did You Know?

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, London was the home of a notorious executioner named Derick. Among those he beheaded was the Earl of Essex, Robert Devereux, who supposedly had once saved the life of the ungrateful executioner. While members of the nobility were accorded the courtesy of beheading, it was the lot of commoners to be hanged, and those sent to face the rope at the hands of the executioner Derick nicknamed the gallows after him. Today, derrick is commonly used for a framework, but one that supports equipment used in drilling for oil.