Illustration of derrick
- derrick 2
1
: a hoisting apparatus employing a tackle rigged at the end of a beam
2
: 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
The drug dealers who stole the oil company’s plane — and who lost a lot of money in the accident in the series premiere — show up to a derrick and try to shake down Tommy.
—
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 8 Dec. 2024
Pictures from the boom days show derricks sprouting up like trees throughout the town.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Oct. 2024
Not long afterward, a derrick anchored offshore and began clawing apart the bluff, clouding Lake Michigan as neighbors, standing on tiptoes, held their phones above the privacy netting and gaped.
—Ben Ryder Howe, Curbed, 7 Aug. 2024
Gibson and his team envisioned Kuwait, where the derricks had been set on fire and everything was stained with sulfur and black.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 20 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for derrick
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Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 8 Dec. 2024
Pictures from the boom days show derricks sprouting up like trees throughout the town.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Oct. 2024
Not long afterward, a derrick anchored offshore and began clawing apart the bluff, clouding Lake Michigan as neighbors, standing on tiptoes, held their phones above the privacy netting and gaped.
—Ben Ryder Howe, Curbed, 7 Aug. 2024
Gibson and his team envisioned Kuwait, where the derricks had been set on fire and everything was stained with sulfur and black.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 20 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for derrick
Cite this Entry
“Derrick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/derrick. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
derrick
noun
der·rick
ˈder-ik 
1
: any of various machines for moving or hoisting heavy weights by means of a long beam fitted with pulleys and cables
2
: a framework or tower over a deep drill hole (as of an oil well) for supporting machinery
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