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 

Examples of shale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On screen, the hill grows into a mountain, and then the mountain—which is not a mountain—erupts, a hulking black mass edged with feathery projectiles, a pyrotechnic finale of soil and shale. —Literary Hub, 11 June 2025

The highest quality gas shales, found in the Sichuan Basin in the southern part of the country, are thinner, older, deeper, and more highly faulted and fractured. —Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025

Also, leveraging advancements in satellite technologies for connectivity is a highly promising network to utilize for highly rural areas and those areas with major geological barriers to underground infrastructure—think mountain ranges, dense shale. —Jennifer Sanders, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025

The state has been an oil and gas producer for decades, but thanks to major shale finds, New Mexico now churns out 2 million barrels of oil every day. —Paul J. Gessing, National Review, 15 May 2025

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

• oil shale
• shale oil

Rhymes for shale

• ail
• ale
• bail
• baile
• dail
• fail
• flail
• frail
• gael
• gail
• grail
• hail

Kids Definition

shale

noun

ˈshā(ə)l 

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

shaley

ˈshā-lē 

adjective