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

The method focuses on recovering these additional resources in shale and other tight reservoirs that have already produced hydrocarbons through hydraulic fracturing in primary recovery operations but still contain large amounts of oil and gas trapped within rocks. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 31 May 2026

But the country was saved by the shale revolution, which took off in 2003. —Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026

The shale boom changed everything. —Jordan Blum, Fortune, 19 May 2026

For example, a switch to renewables, particularly in Asia and Europe, could come at the expense of Texas’ Permian Basin, which for decades put the United States in an enviable position because of the shale and fracking revolution. —David Goldman, CNN Money, 12 May 2026

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