shale
noun
ˈshāl 
: 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
ˈshā-lē
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The shale boom transformed the U.S. from a net importer to a net exporter of petroleum and gas. 
Christopher M. Matthews, WSJ, 30 July 2022 Then, a series of business decisions backfired badly, from betting on natural gas at the top of the market to being late to America's shale boom. Julia Horowitz, CNN, 8 June 2022 The last time natural-gas prices were so high was back before the shale-drilling boom flooded the domestic market with cheap gas and the U.S. Ryan Dezember, WSJ, 23 Aug. 2022 Both Big Oil and shale producers need export markets to thrive. Dan Eberhart, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022 The terrain varied from rough limestone-shale fields to swampy singletrack to slick red sandstone. Patty Hodapp, Outside Online, 28 May 2022 Massa on Thursday conveyed urgency when announcing a plan to give tax and customs benefits to oil companies and to cut some red tape in an effort to turbocharge investments in the country's Vaca Muerta shale formation. Reuters, CNN, 12 Aug. 2022 Using more shale requires paying for carbon quotas under European environmental rules, which drives up the cost. David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2022 Just in the Permian Basin—the U.S. shale patch where leaders of both parties are eager to juice production—methane emissions in the first quarter of 2022 climbed by 33 percent over the previous quarter, up 47 percent over the same period last year. Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 1 July 2022 See More
Christopher M. Matthews, WSJ, 30 July 2022 Then, a series of business decisions backfired badly, from betting on natural gas at the top of the market to being late to America's shale boom. Julia Horowitz, CNN, 8 June 2022 The last time natural-gas prices were so high was back before the shale-drilling boom flooded the domestic market with cheap gas and the U.S. Ryan Dezember, WSJ, 23 Aug. 2022 Both Big Oil and shale producers need export markets to thrive. Dan Eberhart, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022 The terrain varied from rough limestone-shale fields to swampy singletrack to slick red sandstone. Patty Hodapp, Outside Online, 28 May 2022 Massa on Thursday conveyed urgency when announcing a plan to give tax and customs benefits to oil companies and to cut some red tape in an effort to turbocharge investments in the country's Vaca Muerta shale formation. Reuters, CNN, 12 Aug. 2022 Using more shale requires paying for carbon quotas under European environmental rules, which drives up the cost. David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2022 Just in the Permian Basin—the U.S. shale patch where leaders of both parties are eager to juice production—methane emissions in the first quarter of 2022 climbed by 33 percent over the previous quarter, up 47 percent over the same period last year. Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 1 July 2022 See More 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
Phrases Containing shale
Kids Definition
shale
noun
ˈshāl
: a rock with a fine grain formed from clay, mud, or silt