derrick

noun

der·rick ˈder-ik

ˈde-rik

: a hoisting apparatus employing a tackle rigged at the end of a beam

: a framework or tower over a deep drill hole (as of an oil well) for supporting boring tackle or for hoisting and lowering

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.

Examples of derrick in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web By the 1920s, that terrain, once a sparsely populated stretch of Osage reservation, is covered with bustling small towns, those towering derricks and an awful lot of cattle. —

Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2023 Among them is Nova, who, as a child, watched her father get crushed by an oil derrick. —

Ella Riley-Adams, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2023 Many even exaggerate the rule, applying it to all times and all tables, whereas it is only meant to prevent that ugly posture of eating with a hand that lowers itself from above like a derrick tearing up a street. —

Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 30 May 2023 In Beverly Hills and Pico-Rivera, oil derricks were sheathed by decorative towers. —

Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2023 At various points in its history, the Sandy Jug has also included a towering oil derrick and an 8-ball stopper painted at the top of the jug. —

Mrussell, oregonlive, 9 Aug. 2023 Such inattention, perhaps, is rooted in the state’s enduring reputation for wide open spaces, as a land of cattle ranches and oil derricks. —

Andrew R. Graybill, WSJ, 5 July 2023 Start with the city’s beloved incarnation of Pegasus, the mythical red neon horse who spreads her wings on a 22-foot oil derrick in front of the Omni Hotel. —

Ava Graham, Dallas News, 21 May 2023 The helmet featured a Columbia Blue oil derrick outlined in scarlet. —

Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 4 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'derrick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.