shale oil

noun

: a crude dark oil obtained from oil shale by heating

Examples of shale oil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In Argentina, expanding shale oil and gas production has turned the country from a net energy importer into an exporter, boosting its dollar export revenues. — Dan Restrepo, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026 If this basin is not developed, one of Latin America’s premier shale oil plays will be lost. — Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026 The shale oil boom was revolutionized in part by drilling vertically and then horizontally to dig deeper into the subsurface and crack open more shale rock to release the liquids inside. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026 The parallels between their data center land grab now and the shale oil boom-and-bust cycle of the 2010s are striking to longtime commodities analyst Jeff Currie, who is now at Carlyle. — Kelly Evans, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shale oil

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shale oil was in 1857

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Cite this Entry

“Shale oil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shale%20oil. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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